Yesterday morning we loaded the sleigh with buckets, supplies and headed out to tap the trees.
The morning was perfect, sunny, not too cold and we could easily get around using our snowshoes.
We used a cordless drill to drill the hole for the tap, usually placing it on the south side of the tree.
With a wooden mallet it's easy to tap the plastic spigot tightly into the tree.
In some locations where the trees were close together we ran a line from tree to tree and then used only one large bucket to collect the sap from all five trees.
Here you can see the plastic spigot with a blue tube running down to the line and then around the trees to the next tree. Everything is sealed which eliminates bugs and debris getting into the sap.
Today we will collect and store the sap. Wednesday we expect to start boiling.
Enjoy your coffee Mike.
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Succes with tapping the sap!
ReplyDeleteWe hope there is a lot to tap.
Love, Ad and Gertie
It is so nice to get caught up on all your "doings". You are the most "doing" couple I know.....you're suppose to be retired and taking life easy. Fun days ahead with all that sap to boil down. I am sure you are taking full advantage of this gorgeous weather. Thought of you both and with BIG thanks....the day we got home from our trip we treated ourselves plus my Mother and brother to your DELICIOUS "canned" stew. It was so good. I have saved the jar for you and will try my best to replace it with something we have created. A trip to your place is in the works but we will wait till after your March break visitors. Thanks again for all the interesting news, photos AND the stew.
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