Anyone Tapping Yet?

[Ed Thayer]

It is getting to be that time. Temps are starting to melt the snow in the yard.

Time to start walking the mainlines and sugarbushes to see what work needs to be done.

I have tapped as early as the third week in February before. I would prefer a normal season where we tap here in the Manodnock Region of NH around Town Meeting day.

[Mark Cowdrey]

Hung a test bucket yesterday. Got maybe a pint for the day. Probably do some prep work Saturday & tap late next week.

Mark

PS you may want to check out http://www.mapletrader.com for news

[Ed Thayer]

Mark,

How many are you planning to tap this year?

[mitchmaine]

we hang buckets only (650 -700), so we wait til the last gun before tapping to avoid drying up. generally its the first of march. i’ve been watching this fresh maple stump in the woodlot for sap, but it’s dry in spite of 40 degree days lately. i’m sure roadside trees are running today. seems like we are in for a little snow tonight and cold weather for the next week or so. but keep us posted on what you are up to and i’ll try and do the same.

[dominiquer60]

If Dale didn’t get to it today, he will start tapping tomorrow. We do 2 to 4 lines with 250 to 450 taps total depending on how much time we have. Dale started a new sap house last year but still no floor or siding. We are thinking of how we can use it the rest of the year as a washing and packing barn for our market garden.

Erika

[Mark Cowdrey]

Erika,
That looks like it might be a 2×6 in that as yet drafty sugar house?

Mitch,
That stump you are watching, did you cut that tree when the moon was waxing or waning?

Ed,
I put out about 100 here, 2/3 on 2 different lines and 1/3 buckets. I partner up with 2 other guys, one who has a sugar house. Last year we did 450 taps total, this year it will be close to 1000. This on a 2.5×8. The guy with the sugar house has “iron disease” (never saw a piece of equipment he didn’t want to buy) and has gotten an RO despite my protestations that that is “Republican sugarmaking”. I figure it is bound to break down at the least convenient time.

Maybe some day I’ll have a nice 2×6 here at my place.

Good luck all.

Mark

[harvey]

Taped a few by house two weeks ago but didnt save any,sap ran some on diferent days. Came home today they semend to be runing good just above freezing and snow coming tonight. dont usualy get much here till end of march.HARVEY,,NOVA SCOTIA CANADA.

[mitchmaine]

red maple, mark. cut it saturday. it’s fairly close to our sugarbush. it’s this years barometer. good luck.

[Ed Thayer]

That will be a nice sugar house when done Erika.

We tap about 500, 400 tube and the balance with buckets.

I think it might be one of those early years too. We got about 7″ of fresh snow last night so I am off to work.

Ed

[Theloggerswife]

My neighbor started tapping yesterday, but he has about 7000 taps!

[dominiquer60]

The greenhouse is getting more attention than the tap line today, so no taps yet.

Thanks loggerswife, I hope it will double as a nice washing and packing shed for most of the year, it would be awful nice to use such a building for more than a month each year.

Mark, I’m not sure exactly its a partly home made 2x9ish, but I know that Dale is seriously contemplating buying a bigger one so that he gets a few hours of sleep during sugaring. This could be for sale next year.

I hope the sap flows well for you all and be safe,

Erika

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