Sap storage – You’ll need a larger container to empty the buckets from each tree into. For smaller containers though you can pierce a hole on opposite sides and run a string through it to saddle over your spile. Those 5 gallon buckets I prefer to let collect on the ground due to its weight. In that case you may need to run to Lowes or Home Depot where they sell those food grade buckets for around $5. It is possible to get quite a bit in a day from a single tree. However if you want to go big, maybe get a 5 gallon bucket. They are about a nice size, durable, and food safe. Go to a pizza shop and ask for their empty commercial sized tomato sauce cans. The size can vary but will be based on how fast the sap is running and how often you empty the bucket. While I haven’t used them, I still can’t imagine the plastic ones lasting very long since we are pounding them in and leaving them out in the weather year after year.Ĭollection Buckets – These are the buckets you’ll be collecting sap off the tree in. Otherwise if you’re into buying things get the metal ones over plastic. I’ve detailed instructions on how to make spiles here. All you need is to know where a sumac or elder is and it takes all of 15 minutes to make a dozen yourself. Spiles – There are all kinds of spiles for sale on the market however I’ve never used any of them. I have never spent any money on maple sugaring equipment. After doing this for quite a while I don’t know why it would be worth spending money on equipment unless you were doing it commercially. Like with anything else you can spend as much money as makes you feel good on anything. It’s impossible to predict the season as some years the conditions can persist for weeks while other years may only last a few days. This is our “sweet” spot when the temperature fluctuations create optimal pressure for sap to seep out of any bruises on the still leafless tree. Keeping an eye on the weather we are looking for a the moment the weather begins to have above freezing temperatures during the day and below freezing temperatures at night. After a couple times when the temperature gets above freezing during the day, the sugar-rich sap begins to flow upward to aid the development of the coming arrival of its buds and shoots. Mid-to-late winter, depending on where you live, before the tree’s bud-break is the time to be ready for the maple season. In addition to the tree’s safety measure of winter dehydration, it also will produce more sugar which in turn dilutes the water and lowers the freezing temperatures. Water running in the tree at this point can put the tree at risk of damage due to the water expanding when it freezes and bursting the sapwood vessels and fibers. When cold weather moves in and those “breathing” leaves fall, the tree goes into a shut down mode where the stream of water that previously ran through its body slows. When leaves are on the trees the water is pulled all the way up the tree, into the leaves, and respired out of the little stomata on the leaves, and into the air in a process that assists with photosynthesis. The roots drink up an impressive amount of water everyday in the warmer months that flows up and through the tree. Red, Box Elder, etc are all very good and worthwhile. Don’t think you only need sugar to get your sugar. There are a lot of different types of maple, and while perhaps Sugar Maple is the popular favorite, you’ll still get a deliciously sweet syrup from whatever you try. If you somehow catch sight of them, the seed pods of most maple are those helicopter wings we played with as kids that come in pairs and spin in the wind. If you’re able to peek at the branches and catch the dormant buds at their ends look for a center bud at the very end with two smaller ones on either side as it’s shoulders. Some are smoother than others, and vary from grey to brown. The bark varies from one variety to the next but look out for long strips that go up and down the trunk with narrow grooves between them. Occasionally some dried leaves might be caught up in the branches but start by look at the bark. Alas, tapping is a winter activity so we won’t think of it until the leaves have long fallen. For the beginner marking maple trees while they have leaves could be your best help. The easiest way to identify a maple is by looking for the easily recognizable maple leaf, but you know that. It can be on your property or perhaps you ask for permission from a neighbor. We gotta find or identify a maple tree first. It also really doesn’t cost anything, so with some maple trees to use and some motivation the adventure awaits you. It’s a big recommendation, gets you moving outside again. Whether doing 1 tree or a full-on sugar bush operation, tapping for maple sap is a really fun activity for the tail end of winter.
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