Tap Your Maple Tree in 15 mins/$15 make maple syrup

[midevilone]

Well this was an experiment. Now that I have done a bit more reading and research, this attempt is somewhat embarrassing. Live and learn. :)

The most frustrating part for me is that we had a warm spell that caused the sap to spoil before I could boil it down so it was all wasted.

In all I got around 40-50 gallons from the tree.

The tree is not showing any signs of damage (yet?)

In any even I haven't retapped these holes and if I do it again, I'll drill a small hole and put a single tap in.

[Benyouknowthatguy]

@truecolour13 rape rape rape rape rape rape and maple syrup

[jibbabubba]

@truecolour13 that's a pretty weird word to come to mind. just sayin.

[solojam]

canada has the best syrup

[theeastwatch]

Hows this system been working for you? How much sap have you pulled?

-TEW

[Encryptomatic]

I applaud the initiative, but I too, would not recommend more than 2 taps.

If you REALLY want to go cheap, you can make a tap from one of those cheap Bic pens. Just pull out the ink, wash it up, and tap the hollow tube into a 5/16 hole.

[bassboy923]

thank you, very good info for a first timer... i really want to try it, without spending an assload of money on equipment

[crowhillsugarhouse]

well i admire that you want to make syrup but you have made a few mistakes, for one too many taps in that tree for its size, usualy a tree that size would have at most 2 taps, and they would be further apart than you spaced them, by having them close, or cluster tapping, you make a spot of dead wood that is pretty big on that side of the tree. the next thing is the holes are way too big,7/16 was the standard but now 5/16 has been found to flow nearly as much and do much less damage to the tree

[TheHoboPyro]

@crowhillsugarhouse your right, he does have too many taps too close together, but i believe you can have up to 3 taps per tree

[midevilone]

@crowhillsugarhouse thanks for the tips.

[wheelori814]

how about drilling a hole in the top of the lid and fitting it with another one of those things you put in the tree?

[midevilone]

@wheelori814 we'll be moving out to our 5 acre property soon and I plan to do a better job of all of this using the things I have learned since.

[angrose]

Will tapping the same tree year after year damage the tree??? Also, how much sap did you yield from this particular tree?

[midevilone]

@angrose I got about 40-50 gallons before the warm spell kicked in.

[midevilone]

You could, but the yield goes way down to almost nothing, once the temp at night doesn't dip to freezing with day temps 40ºF or above. and you would have to keep re-drilling the hole as it seals over.

[loku1125]

can you collect sap all of the time of the year