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Well, the more subzero lows the better... Most of central and northern NH are zone 3 and zone 4 plant hardiness zones for a reasion. I'm not entirely sure if the much wetter than normal conditions prevalent in much of the 2000s so far, but knotweed and other non-native infestations seems to be on the rise in NH. The white nose syndrome that has had enormous negative ramifications on the bat population is also very concerning. As noted by others, insect populations very likely increase when winter lows increase. For direct evidence of this look at the Rocky Mountain states and the massive tree dieoff at higher elevations.
Last edited by GraniteStater; 01-20-2011 at 08:25 PM..
Greg the reds taste the same but you boil a lot more sap, as sugar content is around 1% as compared to a good year for sugar maple which can be up to 5 %.
I tap both and have for 30 years. Sometimes if I have energy enough I tap birches too which comes later after maples are done. Of course birch syrup and or sugar is very different from maple.
Since 2000 no year has been good much less great. The sap stays down for some reason, and you can't boil sap you don't get. Oddly one of my best trees is broken off about 30 feet high from the ice storm in the later 90's.
And were i am there are not that many sugars or reds even and so I have to bust tail to set out just 36 taps.
Once in the early 90s with just 22 taps i made 11 gallons of syrup. I can't break 3 gallons 1 qt with 36 taps these days.
Greg the reds taste the same but you boil a lot more sap, as sugar content is around 1% as compared to a good year for sugar maple which can be up to 5 %.
I tap both and have for 30 years. Sometimes if I have energy enough I tap birches too which comes later after maples are done. Of course birch syrup and or sugar is very different from maple.
Since 2000 no year has been good much less great. The sap stays down for some reason, and you can't boil sap you don't get. Oddly one of my best trees is broken off about 30 feet high from the ice storm in the later 90's.
And were i am there are not that many sugars or reds even and so I have to bust tail to set out just 36 taps.
Once in the early 90s with just 22 taps i made 11 gallons of syrup. I can't break 3 gallons 1 qt with 36 taps these days.
Just wanted to post a reminder that neither of these trees is doing as well as they used to; so if you're thinning out your property a bit- perhaps keep that in mind as you go (or replanting). Good genetics saplings can be had for very short money from various organizations/universities.
At least on this coast, the red maple are doing great. I don't like the columnar forms though, as they split more. Wonder if you are seeing a short-term effect from something related to humidity or other. What is not doing so well with the maples, growth rate, deterioration?
Do they sell Tsuga heterophylla over there? Those are a more reliable species.
Below is the new world record Western Hemlock for height, found last March: called "Tsunami".
I made 11 gallons this past sugar season which for the past years here since 06 was only 3 and a little with the same taps. What ever it was didn't happen this year. Now IMO this past winter was milder than the past winters. I didn't think of this past winter as all that long, cold, or hard. maybe a few more snows than normal, but not really.
It looks like the garden can go in a little eariler than in past years too, but I will delay a bit just the same as I have no use of a killing frost.
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