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  • From: "Jim Fruth" <jimfruth@charter.net>
  • To: "NAFEX" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Tapping 6" maple trees
  • Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 09:29:08 -0500

Hank Parker wrote, "We figure, w/o measuring, that a maple needs to be 30 to 40 years old to get to the 10-12" dba to tap."


Hank,
It is American tradition (tradition!) to not tap a maple tree until it is 10" dba (dba means diameter at breast height). Continuing, another tap-hole is drilled for every additional 5" dba.

The Quebecois that I had the opportunity to speak with told me that they, and everyone they know who taps maple trees, begin tapping when the tree measures 6" dba adding another tap-hole for each additional 6" dba. Quebec produces 2/3 of the World's maple syrup.

Curiously, for a 30" dba tree, both methods have the same number of taps.

Regarding the idea of tap-holes harming the trees, I have had weed trees, maple trees that were in the way and needed to be culled. Rather than to simply cut down 2" and 3" trees, I figured I'd put several taps in each, drilling all the way through to the other side to extract their sap before cutting them down. Apparently I got busy and failed to cut them down as planned. When Summer came, I learned that, not only did I not kill the trees but they seemed unaffected! So to learn from the experience, I let them grow and tapped them similarly the following Spring. By the next Summer, I learned that my plan to kill them by draining their sap wasn't working.

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm Market
P.O. Box 799
Pequot Lakes, MN 56472
www.BrambleBerryFarmMarket.com
Jams, Jellies, Syrups & more
1-877-265-6856 (Toll Free)
1-218-831-7018 (My Cell)



  • [NAFEX] Tapping 6" maple trees, Jim Fruth, 05/11/2010

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