The Process of Tapping Maple Trees - eHow.com_200

[0225ml46]

,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
            
                  
                     
                        
                           
                           
                              
                                    
                                    Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
                                 
                              
                           
                           
                           
                              Tapping maple trees is not difficult, but requires some basic knowledge.
                           
                        
                     Maple trees are tapped in the spring to access their sap, which is boiled down into maple syrup. Successful tapping of maple trees requires some basic knowledge of which trees are the best to tap, what times are most appropriate and, of course, what to do with the sap once you've got it.
                  
               
                  Pick the Right Trees
               
                  
                     Maple trees have numerous subspecies. Sugar maples are the best for making maple syrup, thus their name. Only tap healthy trees that are larger than 12 inches in diameter. If you have a choice of trees, tap the ones that get a lot of sunlight, are growing on south-facing slopes and have exhibited healthy growth over the last several years.
                  
               
                  Pick the Right Time
               
                  
                     Maple tapping is done in the spring because this is when the sap is moving. When the temperature is above freezing during the day and below freezing at night,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, this fluctuation causes the sap to move up and down the tree. These conditions usually occur between mid-February and mid-March. In Vermont,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, Town Meeting Day in early March is traditionally the day to start tapping trees.
                  
               
                  Drill the Hole
               
                  
                     Depending on which size spiles you are using, you will need either a 5/8- or 7/8-inch-diameter bit. Use a battery-powered cordless drill, or do it the old-fashioned way with a hand drill brace. Drill the hole about 3 feet up from the ground, on the south side of the tree. Give the hole a slight upward angle into the tree to help the sap flow down out of the spile. Drill into the tree between 2 and 3 inches.
                  
               
                  Insert the Spile
               
                  
                     A spile is a small metal spout that guides the sap out of the tree, and from which the sap bucket is hung. Without the spile, the sap just runs out of the hole and down the bark of the tree. Place a hook onto the spile to hold the bucket, then place the rounded end of the spile into the hole. Tap the spile gently into the tree until it is held snugly in the wood. There is no need to bang it forcefully into the tree.
                  
               
                  Hang the Bucket
               
                  
                     Hang a sap bucket on the hook beneath the spile. Fit a bucket cover over the top of the bucket to keep out rain,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, bits of wood and animals. Check your buckets frequently so they don't overflow and waste precious sap.
                  
               
         
         
      
   
   
   
   
   
   
The Process of Tapping Maple Trees | You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login