Refer to the directions that came with your particular spout or spiles to make sure it is positioned properly. The most important step in the process of tapping a tree for maple is finding just the right tree. 5. plink! If you have an abundance of trees that you can utilize for tapping, you should absolutely try this rewarding experience. If the maple tree measures 8”-18” one tap can be made in the tree. In the fall, you probably ooh and aah at the beautiful red, orange, and yellow shades the leaves from these trees turn each October. It’s that time of year again, when the sweet sounds of spring fill Bronte Creek Provincial Park : the twittering of returning songbirds, the laughter of visitors strolling through the woods, and the plink! Find a maple tree. Simply hang your bucket and lid and move on to the next tree. How to Tap Trees for Syrup. The dimensions of the drill bit will depend both on the size of the tree and the spout being used to collect sap. Anything under 21″ will only take one tap. Inspect the shaving churned out while drilling the tapping hole. If you have an abundance of trees that you can utilize for tapping, you should absolutely try this rewarding experience. Drill a hole about 1.5 inches into the tree – slightly uphill – so the sap will run down. Tap My Trees is the #1 supplier of maple sugaring supplies for the hobbyist. You have to check the buckets and collect the sap daily – no matter how busy you are or what the weather is like outdoors. In my personal experience, the 5-gallon buckets with lids sold at farm and garden stores like Tractor Supply or Rural King work just fine for tapping trees. It has bark that is dark gray in color. We are enrolled in the Amazon Associates program, so we may earn a commission if you purchase something from Amazon after clicking one of our links. This task is fairly easy. Native American tribes who lived in this region often tapped the Big Leaf Maple tree for syrup and sugar making purposes. To make the hole through which sap will flow, you’ll need a drill. The season usually lasts about a month to a month and a half is all and the most sap will flow earliest in the season. Want to branch out from maple? They make these in metal and even plastic. You can run it through a cheesecloth or similar to remove any impurities that found their way in. Hopefully, its Acer saccharum (sugar maple), if not you’ll need even more sap. The hole should be drilled at a slight upward angle to a depth of about 3 inches. But, the most common trees used are sugar maples. A corded drill will work in a pinch, but it’s going to make use of a lot of drop cord unless you have electrical outlets next to your trees. Your email address will not be published. I’m Danielle. You want to hit the xylem or sapwood of the tree. Whether you have 10 trees or 10,000 the process is basically the same: tap your trees, collect the sap, and boil it down until it’s reduced down to maple syrup. • Red – Sap from this maple tree contains about a 1.7% sugar content. Tapping maple trees is relatively straightforward, and it’s an activity the whole family can enjoy. If a tree is under 12″ in diameter, do not tap it. Whether you have an abundance of trees on your property or find a nice neighbor, it’s definitely worth giving a try to get some delicious, natural sugar. If the tree shavings have a dark brown hue, you have probably discovered a bad spot in the tree and need to locate the sap collection hole in another location on the same tree. • English Walnut – If you have purchased walnuts to bake with or simply to munch upon from your local grocery store, they probably came from this variety of tree. You need to make sure you’re ready. And if the shavings are a dark brown when you drill into it, pick a different spot (the shavings should be light brown). The sugar and syrup produced from this variety is incredibly sweet and delicious. You’ll want to make sure that your trees are a minimum of 12 inches in diameter (indicating they are mature) and of course, healthy. Typically, trees are prime for tapping between the middle of February through mid-March. You’ll need: Cordless Drill and bit. Don’t drive too hard and don’t tap when the temperature is below freezing to avoid splitting the … A tree should be at least 10 inches in diameter, measured at 4 1/2 feet above the ground, before tapping. Note: when done properly, tapping won’t harm your tree, and the hole you make will heal up nicely on its own. Hooks. Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) The sugar maple yields the highest volume and concentration of sap, making it a superior candidate for tapping. • Buckets or Bags – Traditional tappers use buckets that can be hung on or above the spout and onto the tree to collect sap. Their leaves are either silver or white on the bottom, and boast a more pointy shape than the leaves from hard maple tree varieties. If you hit dark brown again, it may not be worth your time and effort to try to tap the tree. But this will depend a lot on where you live. If you’re placing more than one, you’ll want to divide them around the circumference of the tree. Ideally, you will want to put the spile above a big root or below a big branch to get the most sap out of the tree. For trees 12-20″ in diameter, you’ll use one spile each. Black maple (Acer nigrum) Black maples produce as much sweet sap as sugar maples. For trees 21-27″ in diameter, you’ll use two taps. For huge trees above 27 inches in diameter, use three taps when collecting sap. Never tap a maple tree that is smaller than 10 inches/25 cm in diameter. • Holder or Hooks – Holders are sold to hang either buckets or bags and purchased by some tree tappers. So, if you’re placing two put one on the south side and one on the north. • Use tree tapping pouches like the ones in the photo below to keep debris and other impurities away from your sap. These are, of course, to capture the sap. Tapping Maple Trees for Syrup (Acer Species) There are 10 different species of maple tree that can be tapped for syrup. As a child I experimented with tapping maple trees in Ontario Canada – usually during the first week of March. Make each cut just above a lateral branch that is at least 1/3 the diameter of the cut stem. The sweetness of the syrup produced from this tree is comparable to that of a Sugar Maple tree, even though it is churned out in less abundance. But, if you didn’t plan in advance, not all hope is lost. • Black – This maple tree generally offers the highest production of sap each season. To make things easier, you can mark that depth on your bit with a piece of tape. Scrub the equipment with a firm brush and rinse, at least two to three times, with very hot water and allow them to air dry fully before storage or use. her homesteading skills are unmatched, she raises chickens, goats, horses, a wide variety of vegetables, not to mention she’s an expert is all sorts of homesteading skills such as hide tanning, doll making, tree tapping and many, many more. It is best to distribute the tapping holes around the tree’s circumference when putting in a new season holes or making multiple tapping holes on a large tree for the first time. You’ll want to drill at a slight angle to facilitate the downward flow of sap. If the tree has a big “crown” or lots of full and sturdy branches in its mid-section, it might be a great sap producer. No maple trees on your homestead? A lot of times you will tap a tree that you think is a maple tree going to find out that there’s no SAP the reason why there’s no SAP is that it’s probably not a maple. The height of your spile should be comfortable for you. Its sugar content is approximately 2.0%. Everyone would go out around late February into March and tap maples for syrup. You’ll want to check your buckets daily and empty any collected sap. stay above freezing and leaf buds appear, the maple syrup season is over. Trimming maple trees involves pruning out diseased or broken branches at least 6 inches into healthy wood. • Sycamore – Sap from this tree has a yummy butterscotch flavor. The time has come. Hard maple tree leaves often appear to boast a “U” shape, and soft maple tree leaves have a shape than looks more like a “V” shape. We prefer metal. To tap the tree, drill a hole about into the trunk of the tree, either above a large root or below a large branch on the south side of the tree. You could also get a maple tapping starter kit that has all of the specialty things you will need. When you tap a tree in the spring, it is the equivalent to a human getting a small cut, which will will slowly scar over to stop the loss of bodily fluids. You want the temperature to alternate above freezing in the day, and below freezing at night. You’ll be glad you did. You’ve got your trees identified, the weather is right, and you’ve gathered your supplies. • The amount of sap you get in your buckets in a single day will vary based upon fluctuations in temperature. If it’s a little more narrow, that’s ok, too. Copyright © 2020 The Rustic Elk •all rights reserved•. This will vary wildly depending on the tree, but typically each tree will produce anywhere from 5 to 15 gallons of sap per tap, per season. You’ve found the trees, you have an idea of the timing. It is best to distribute the tapping holes around the tree’s circumference when putting in a new season holes or making multiple tapping holes on a large tree for the first time. Use a hammer or rubber mallet to tap, gently now, the spout into the hold to secure it into place. Since the leaves can’t help you identify the species this time of year, you’ll want to get a winter field guide like this one to identify which are maples if you aren’t familiar with the characteristics. Typically, a 7/16 or 5/16 drill bit will work for most spouts and trees. You’ll want to locate the trees you plan to use and use the guidelines above for how many taps to put into each tree. Maple trees grow throughout the U.S., and in various parts of the country, mid-February through mid-March is when their sap starts to flow, making it the perfect time to tap. 2. This variety of maple tree does not produce as much sap as the Sugar Maple, but is often considered just as sweet. Attach the lid to the bucket and spout/spile as indicated by the directions on your specific equipment. Spiles are necessary for channeling sap out of the tree and into the bucket You want your spile to fit tightly. This will then translate into a small amount of maple syrup per tree. The flow lasts about 5 weeks. Basically what we’re using is just this orange actually it’s red bailing twine and we’re just going to take it and we’re going to identify a maple tree. First off, you can tap many deciduous trees for sap. • If this is your first time tapping a tree for syrup, do not be startled by the color of the fluid running out of the tree. Soft maple varieties tend to drop their seeds in either the early days of summer, or the final weeks of spring. Some days, your buckets might be almost overflowing when you hike out to check them, but other days you might find only a very small amount of sap in the bottom of the bucket or bag. • Black Walnut – This tree produces not only delicious nuts, but a tasty sap as well. The sweetest and best sap is usually produced during the early days and weeks of the season. How to tap a maple tree This blog comes from Cathy Entwhistle, a Senior Park Interpreter at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It is vital to remember that a tree is a living thing, even when it is sleeping all winter long, and that it can (and will) heal itself. Tapping maple trees can be a fun, rewarding experience. Keep checking until the sap stops flowing and then you can turn the sap into syrup. Picking trees with the most exposure to sunlight can also help with the flow of sap. Join our facebook group of over 13,000 like-minded individuals, where we learn about growing a garden, cooking a meal, and living life like our grandparents did. That is where the sap is going to start to flow first because that side of the tree warms up first. If the tree has damage, avoid those spots. It’s got electrolytes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Each tap will yield 5-15 gallons of sap per season. Published: December 26, 2019 • Modified: March 20, 2020 • By: Danielle McCoy • As an amazon affiliate I earn commissions on qualifying purchases. The European, black, river, gray, white, and yellow birch trees can also be tapped, but the sap they each produce is not generally nearly as sweet as the sap that flows from the Paper Birch tree. The leaves from hard maple trees are usually dark green with smooth points. These trees could be defined as the most generous trees of all, in terms of sap production and sugar release. • Spouts – some tappers and stores refer to the spouts as spiles. Jan 16, 2017 - Explore Heather Clower's board "Tapping maple trees", followed by 161 people on Pinterest. If the sap is flowing, you should immediately see sap dripping from the spile. Using a single tap could overtax the tree and could affect its health. If the tree has been tapped before, make sure you do not locate the hole within 6 inches from the prior sap collection spot. Are you looking for a group of like-minded people that love the heritage way of life?? Another option, of course, would be to identify the trees in the summer or fall when the leaves are still on the branches. Drill a hole about 1-1/2″ – 2″ into the tree at an slight upward angle. Learn how your comment data is processed. Tapping Tips. • Big Tooth Maple – This sap producing maple tree grows primarily in the Rocky Mountains region and in Texas. Me too. Use a hammer to lightly tap the spile into the hole. The south side of trees generally get the most sun, making them the warmest side, and the side where sap flow will be the best. Typically the time is around late February to mid-March. You can run it through a cheesecloth or similar to remove any impurities that found their way in. • Rocky Mountain Maple – This tree grows in the region which bears its name. Trees over 25 inches in diameter can sustain three taps. If you have chosen the right time to tap, the sap from the tree should begin to flow, at least slightly, from the tree immediately after the spout has been affixed. Tara lives on a 56 acres farm in the Appalachian Mountains, where she faces homesteading and farming challenges every single day. Lightly tap the spile into the hole. This doesn’t require anything fancy, just a few things and you’ll have sap flowing. You should assume any link is an affiliate link. Why tap a maple tree? Just when the weather starts the warm, but the ground is still snow covered and cold… that’s the perfect time for tapping trees for sap you can boil into syrup. The maximum is 4 taps per tree because you don’t want to stress the tree too much. You’ll insert the spile into the loop on the hook and pound it gently into place using a hammer. The trees closely resemble sugar maples and can be distinguished by their leaves. I hope you have warm days and cold nights for good runs. You can, however, tap any maple tree. This site may earn commissions when you click on certain links. Sap will flow from this tree only when evening temperatures are firmly below the freezing level for at least one week. Many tappers use a mixture of 1-part bleach (unscented) to 20 parts water to clean their equipment. 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