Constant checks of the Weather Channel app in late February can only mean one thing - the start of maple syrup season is upon us. Maple sap runs best when daytime temperatures are above freezing and nighttime temperatures drop below freezing. Easy in theory, but difficult in practice. Tap too soon, and the trees may start to heal before you get a good run of sap. Tap too late, and trees may begin to break their buds, creating an off taste in the syrup.
To say temperatures this month have been consistently below freezing is a bit of an understatement, as it has been downright cold. It seems like our weather swings from one extreme to another, as this past week we saw several days with temperatures in the 40s. The Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Facebook page has been full of questions about when to tap. Big producers will often tap a few test trees. The rest of us look at the weather forecasts, circle a date on the calendar, and hope for the best.
Last year, I tapped six maple trees on February 24. That initially seemed early, but my notes from last year indicate the silver maples broke their buds on March 7. This year, I waited an extra week because of the cold and deep snow, and tapped this weekend. I ended up with 14 taps, including four on two big silver maples in our yard. I am using a combination of tree-hung pails and 5-gallon buckets on the ground. The buckets have a larger capacity and are cheaper, but I like the look of the blue pails on the trees. I tapped on Saturday morning. Because I needed to head out of town, I did a quick sap gathering round Sunday morning and only had about 3 gallons in total. This was probably because night temperatures stayed above freezing. This week is supposed to see better sap weather. However, I ran into another weather problem. The wind picked up in the afternoon, and because sap had not accumulated, the light buckets and pails on our yard trees were blown over. Maggie set them up again, and I am hoping she can find all the ones in the woods tomorrow to check on them.
I always find it interesting how dependent we are on the weather. In the city, it is less of an issue except with large snowstorms or other major events. In the country, weather factors into nearly everything. Snow and cold can cause school buses to be late. Unexpected rain can create problems bringing in hay. With temperatures forecast to be above 40 degrees all week by mid-March, maple syrup season may only last a week.
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