Tapped in the Berkshires

[Aaron Stack]

Do you stop because buds are breaking, or because the trees have shut down? If the latter, if you tap later, and we still have good weather, your trees should still be running. But if your trees always bud then, I guess that's how it goes.

Whenever I run into April, I test all my sap, but I haven't hit buddy sap yet. In 2019 we had a warm up for the first week of Feb (which I missed) and then it got cold and stayed cold - like this year. That year I didn't tap until March 10, which is almost a month after my average tap date. But I still made better than a quart per tap. So who knows. If the season doesn't start until March, and then in late March we have a warm spell, we could be screwed. Only time will tell.

I hate waiting.

GO

The buds on the reds usually open first so they get pulled, then the Norway at home and a good portion of the sugars dry up. It's a domino effect once the reds bud. The last couple years that was week 5 of being tapped (starting Feb 5) and I think 6 weeks is what I read for taps with no vacuum so I didn't question. We'll know for sure this year!

[ADK_XJ]

Waiting for it.... I have made some upgrades this year. I built an RO System, added 3/16th Tubing in our back woods for about 25 Taps. Purchased to 275 gallon IBC Totes to collect and then transfer the sap up the Hill, purchase a gas powered water transfer pump, plus 500 feet of mainline for transfering, purchased 4-55 gallon Blue sap barrels, and have been given permission from the neighbor down the street to tap a nice row of mature sugar maples for about another 20 Taps. So I will be around 75-80 Taps when all is said and done this year. And of course No Sap weather in sight ! Are we all in the same Boat? What do the big guys do? Just wait? Does a vacuum system overcome the cold weather at all or is it just one of those factors you can't control. Sap won't flow until the weather is right, right?

Love to see someone doing all the same year-to-year upgrades that I have, that is the joy of the hobby to me even more than the yield or the duration of the season. Yep, even the big guys are bound to Mother Nature. They might have caught some earlier runs if they tapped in January but that month was (appropriately) cold, too.

It’s a bit amusing to me that after a number of warm winters people are suddenly shocked by true weather in this climate. It’s supposed to be cold in February in New England! Ha.

[berkshires]

The buds on the reds usually open first so they get pulled, then the Norway at home and a good portion of the sugars dry up. It's a domino effect once the reds bud. The last couple years that was week 5 of being tapped (starting Feb 5) and I think 6 weeks is what I read for taps with no vacuum so I didn't question. We'll know for sure this year!

You probably know this already, but reds put out flowers first, and then leaves. When the flower-buds open, apparently that doesn't affect the sap, it's only later when the leaf buds start, the sap is affected.

As for how long the tree runs, IME it's very variable. Open spiles into a bucket, in direct sunlight, dry up first. If they're north facing or very shaded they last longer. As for taps that go through a 5/16 line into a bucket, I've found they last longer than open spiles. Also, a lot depends on temperatures. Seasons with a few really hot days (60s and 70s) seem to really accelerate microbial growth, causing the tap holes to dry up early. In 2023, the early season was warm, so I was able to start early, and the late season was cold, so the trees were still flowing. I pulled taps 48 days after I tapped, but more than half my taps were still producing well. I'm sure I could've gotten another week, but I just ran out of firewood (many times over).

This year I'm less worried about taps drying up, and more worried about budding, or hitting warm temps where the sap stops flowing. I usually pull taps right around the start of April, but this year that may be three weeks after I've tapped! So I plan to push it as far as I can into April, if Mother Nature allows it. We shall see.

GO

[Aaron Stack]

"You probably know this already, but reds put out flowers first, and then leaves. When the flower-buds open, apparently that doesn't affect the sap, it's only later when the leaf buds start, the sap is affected."

I didn't not know this! I'll pay close attention this year.

[Kmb]

Not surprised by a normal winter, but agree we have been lulled by the calm climate past several winters.

Tapping now, no pump, gives six weeks until buds (if they bud at same time as last year: early April).

[berkshires]

I'm tapping this weekend too. If next week's forecast holds it's going to be a tsunami of a start to the season.

GO

[bigschuss]

I'm tapping this weekend too. If next week's forecast holds it's going to be a tsunami of a start to the season.

GO

Yep, me too. Even in Savoy the forecast looks decent. Normally I wait until the first week of March, but I am going to tap this weekend too.

[Aaron Stack]

Tapping here Sunday. As Gabe also mentioned, if the forecast holds Sapageddon will be upon us immediately.

[buckeye gold]

Good luck to all you eastern producers. If your season starts like ours did here in southern Ohio, you better have plenty of sap storage open and ready. I made a whole seasons worth of syrup in less then 3 weeks. It froze up and reset the trees this past week and I got a chance to rest and move some firewood. I'm expecting round two of the flood starting Monday.