My plan 2022/23

[Brien]

Today I removed the labels from the jars and bottles that were returned to me.

For all of the mason jars, I put on brand new lids on them. I have to say though, the lids I took off the jars looked every bit as new, as the brand new ones. Almost seemed a waste.

I told my mom I get new lids each year. She said I was crazy! Just look at it and reuse it, so thats what I'm going to do.

[Pdiamond]

Gary, you've got the same thing going on that I do. Several of my trees are elm/maple, one side being the elm and the other a sugar maple yet when you look at the ground it appears to be all one single stump.

[Someclown]

I sometimes use binoculars and look at the branches, maple trees have opposing branches, elm trees have alternating branches. Sometimes hard to judge until you get familiar.

[Swingpure]

Here are the day time pictures of the elm and maple trees.

As I mentioned yesterday, the pictures could have two maple trees, two elm trees, or one of each. I am saying that so you will have the same doubt I would have in the forest. If you think one is elm and one is maple say for each photo, which one is the maple.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0382...3fZMdjbsMLg0cQ

https://share.icloud.com/photos/002M..._v_JL8NyPRnkdQ

Thank you I do appreciate any tips for distinguishing the two trees from each other.

[DRoseum]

Are those the same trees? Left/right orientation same in both photos?

Look at branch structure as someclown suggested in addition to bark. Maple trees are opposite, elm is alternating. Picture of canopies is hard to tell but one on left is not a maple.

Of trunks... hard to tell alone, but one on right does not look like sugar maple bark to me. Would want to see canopy tho to confirm.

One of left....looks like sugar maple but would want to walk around it and look at canopy just to be sure.

[Swingpure]

Are those the same trees? Left/right orientation same in both photos?

Look at branch structure as someclown suggested in addition to bark. Maple trees are opposite, elm is alternating. Picture of canopies is hard to tell but one on left is not a maple.

Of trunks... hard to tell alone, but one on right does not look like sugar maple bark to me. Would want to see canopy tho to confirm.

One of left....looks like sugar maple but would want to walk around it and look at canopy just to be sure.

You are correct on both accounts.

After posting the picture of the bark, I could see the difference, although they can be similar colours, and look similar, the maple is more gnarly and the elm more uniform.

Although I can see the difference between those two crowns, others I find tougher to tell the difference.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/08fi...JaNXs__ONxDNfA

https://share.icloud.com/photos/060U...2VkWsUIICs8T4g

[Someclown]

As far as I can tell from the pictures of the full trees, there's one elm and one maple. Elm on the left maple on the right. I have been wrong before. When i zoom in on the upper branches they seem to be alternating on the tree on the left and opposing on the tree on the right.
See what others think
This comment is from your first set of daytime pictures

[bigschuss]

I concur with DRoseum. On the bark pic, the one on the right does not look like a maple. On the canopy pic, the one on the left is not a maple.

[Swingpure]

I concur with DRoseum. On the bark pic, the one on the right does not look like a maple. On the canopy pic, the one on the left is not a maple.

Tomorrow I will walk out in the forest and see how comfortable I am at identifying the trees and may bring some construction tape to mark the maples in case I decide to run another line.

Thanks for the tips.

[Swingpure]

I walked the steep hill with the three lines this afternoon. (Just an aside, I watch “Gold Rush” on TV and they always name their “cuts”, I wonder if I should have names for my lines, but I digress)

Having learnt the difference in the maple and the elm trees, I found it quite easy to distinguish between the two in the forest. (At least I think I have). I walked a path to the left of my left line and marked another 34 potential trees I could tap.

I could go buy more tubing tomorrow and run and put the drops on them, before the expected snow Sunday, but I am thinking I would be smarter to wait and see how I deal with the increased sap volume this year before getting way over my head. Also by waiting I can see what the landowner feels about our arrangement for our first year and if he gives me the blessing to continue the following year, that can be something I can add later.

My natural instinct is to tap as much as I can and find a way to deal with the sap. I can always give any extra sap to the landowners uncle who is a sugar maker nearby.