Determining the proper diameter at which to put a second tap in a maple tree can be difficult. The decision can be affected by numerous factors, including: tree diameter, tree growth rate, previous tapping history, whether vacuum is used and if so, what level, the additional yield of sap, and the cost/benefit ratio (factoring in both time and $), among others. These considerations have factored into the development and use of tapping guidelines. In some cases, guidelines were developed with science-based answers to some of these questions. In other cases, guidelines were more of a “rule-of-thumb”used by producers in broad regions. While tapping guidelines are mostly, as the name implies, non-regulatory suggestions, in other cases such as in organic production or when producers lease taps, neglecting to adhere to guidelines can have undesirable consequences such as revoked organic certification or losing the ability to access leased taps
Loading...
Reload document 
Open in new tab