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A Walk in the Woods: Getting ready for maple syrup season

For those of us that like old-fashioned winters with plenty of snow that sticks around, it has been a good one. However, it seems that in a mere couple days, we pressed the button to switch from winter to melting spring.

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It was good while it lasted. The warm temperatures we have experienced over several days have a dramatic impact in many ways.

It is impossible to know when the sap will begin to flow in maple trees, as well as when the largest flow will occur. Quite often winter weather turns prematurely warm, which will signal maple trees to turn back on their internal plumbing system that had shut down in the coldness of late fall.

When there is deep snow in the woods, as we have now, maple producers that prepare maple trees for tapping have much more work to do than with little snow on the ground. To drill the trees in preparation for inserting the spiles and tubing, the workers carry their tools and supplies over the snow on snowshoes as they walk from tree to tree.

If there is a lack of winter snow, there is sometimes fear that the lack of snow cover will speed up the ground and roots thawing process and shorten the maple production season.

Generally, when warm sunny days follow cool frosty nights, the sap........

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