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Thread: Fastest grower? Autumn blaze vs silver maple vs red maple

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2024
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    Canada
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    Default Fastest grower? Autumn blaze vs silver maple vs red maple

    Wondering which species would grow the fastest in a previously cultivated corn field? Fairly wet in spots.
    Thanks

  2. #2
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    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
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    Silvers grow faster than reds but5 I'm not familiar with Autumn blaze, it's likely a type of Japanese maple, but that's only a guess. I have no idea on growing speed
    I will comment, that silver maples tolerate wet ground better than red maples but both do better than sugar maples if the ground tends to be wet. My guess is that you are thinking future maple syrup production, reds would be my choice, if the drainage issue can grow them because they do better for sap. Silvers must be watched closely to stop collecting the sap as the buds open, whereas reds stop yielding sap as the buds open.
    Only because I've never heard of anyone tapping Autumn Blaze maples, my guess is that they are poor choice for making syrup.
    Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  3. #3
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    Feb 2019
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    Murrysville, Pennsylvania
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    I believe Autumn Blaze is a trade name for a Freeman Maple, which is a cross between Red and Silver maples. While this hybrid occurs naturally, I believe some like "autumn blaze" are cultivars.
    D. Roseum
    www.roseummaple.com | https://youtube.com/@roseummaplesyrup
    ~112 taps on 3/16 custom temp controlled vacuum; shurflo vacuum #2; custom nat gas evap with auto-drawoff and tank level gas shut-off controller; homemade RO #1; homemade RO #2; SL SS filter press
    ~30 gallons / year

  4. #4
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    Apr 2019
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    Nashville, MI
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    I did a google search, typed in autumn blaze tree. There was one quite interesting site that covered the 10 pros and cons of planting the tree. If you look at this it may help you decide which way to go. There was some good information about the trees both good and bad. Hope this helps.
    2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
    2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
    2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
    2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
    made 17 gal. syrup
    2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
    2021 - Didn't work out
    2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start

  5. #5
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    Feb 2022
    Location
    Essex Junction, VT
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    Pdiamond, in your searches did you manage to find anything regarding tapping the Autumn Blaze (or other silver/red hybrids)?
    I've googled them as well over the few years I've been sugaring, but haven't found much about people who have tapped them, although it has been briefly mentioned on maple trader.
    Eventually, my urban "operation" will have mainly Autumn Blaze.
    It's the only maple anyone plants in urban areas anymore, it seems.
    Lots of sugar maples here but they're all old and huge, though still very healthy by and large.
    2024: 28 taps, 7 gallons. RB5 purchased but not opened :-(
    2023: 30 taps, 17 trees, 11 properties, Sugar Maple & Norway. 2x3 flat over propane & kitchen finish. ~11(!) gallons.
    2022: 9 taps, 5 trees, 4 properties. 3 hotel pans on 3 Coleman 2-burner stoves burning gasoline; kitchen finish. ~3 gallons.
    2021: 2 taps, 1 sugar maple. Propane grill then kitchen finish. ~Pint.
    All years: mainly 5/16" drops into free supermarket frosting buckets. Some plastic sap buckets hanging on 5/16 sap-meister.

  6. #6
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    Apr 2019
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    Nashville, MI
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    Andy - under the 10 autumn blaze trees pros and cons article it stated that animals and insects were attracted to the thick foliage for protection and the sweet tasting sap that the tree produced. Since it is a hybrid tree, I would have to assume that they are a tappable tree. I do not know, nor have I found out yet if anyone has any experience tapping the tress. I plan to keep looking and will report my findings if there are any.
    2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
    2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
    2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
    2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
    made 17 gal. syrup
    2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
    2021 - Didn't work out
    2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Murrysville, Pennsylvania
    Posts
    510

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    Judging by leaves alone, I pretty sure I have a naturally occurring Freeman maple that I tap.
    D. Roseum
    www.roseummaple.com | https://youtube.com/@roseummaplesyrup
    ~112 taps on 3/16 custom temp controlled vacuum; shurflo vacuum #2; custom nat gas evap with auto-drawoff and tank level gas shut-off controller; homemade RO #1; homemade RO #2; SL SS filter press
    ~30 gallons / year

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Noblesville Indiana
    Posts
    21

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    I have two Autumn Blaze trees out of the 12 yard trees that I tap (6 sugar, 3 red, 1 norway, and the 2 Autumn Blaze). One Autumn Blaze produces an amount of sap between what the sugar's and the red's produce - less than than the sugar's, but more than the red's. The other tree, I am giving up on. It has produced very little the last several years and was basically dry this year - maybe a couple of gallons over the month. I am also giving up on the norway maple as it has been producing even less.
    Last edited by NoblesvilleIN; 05-26-2024 at 09:27 PM.

  9. #9
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    Apr 2019
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    Nashville, MI
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    Andy and others: the following is what I have been able to gather. All of this information is available on different websites. The tree was first produced in 1933 by a man named Freeman. Hence the name Freman Maple or Autumn Blaze. They are a cross between a silver maple and a red maple. They are a fast growing, shallow rooted tree. It is mentioned that one of the options you can take to prevent it tipping over is to thin the upper branches while it is young. It will still grow the 40 to 60 feet in height, but by trimming allows the wind to go through. The sap is very sweet although some trees do not produce, and some trees are gushers. I would imagine on a tubing and vacuum system you would tend to get more sap. I hope this answers some of your questions.
    2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
    2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
    2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
    2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
    made 17 gal. syrup
    2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
    2021 - Didn't work out
    2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Johnson City, TN
    Posts
    37

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    For 20 years, people have tried ona nd off to gravity tap some red maple looking trees where I cook. You might get a little and then it would quit. I mean less than a sycamore. Last winter after engineering a battery powered vacuum system, I suctioned one and got a decent amount. We have always figured they were some kind of hybrid. Have I also heard that about reds elsewhere? Just saying reds may not be what you want for backyard sugaring.

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