Harvesting maple sap.

[Smiles Jr.]

We've been discussing the weird weather we're having this winter and it got me to thinking about how we're going to determine the right time to tap the trees this winter. Most winters I'm able to get a good flow of sap around the 3rd or 4th week in February but sometimes it starts to flow as late as mid-March. I guess we'll have to watch the temperatures very closely this year and spring into action when the time is right. When the temperatures fluctuate a lot and it's un-seasonally warm sometimes the trees seem to get confused. Well, at least I do.

We got about 3 1/2 quarts of good thick syrup from 26 gal. of sap (water) last year from only 4 Sugar Maple trees. And two of those trees were only 12 to 14 inches in diameter. I hope we can do as well this year.

 

[Carol Dee]

I park under our sugar maple tree and found sap drips on the windshield this morning! Poor confused trees.
We have 3 maple trees in the yard, they are big enough to tap. Every year we say lets give it a try, then don't.
Maybe this is the year!