- Tap the Maple tree in late winter or early spring. The lower half of Michigan, where it the temperatures warm up first, should be tapped by the middle of February. The upper half of Michigan should be tapped no later than the first or second week of March. You want to tap the tree just before the sap starts to flow in the spring. If you get the taps in too late, you will miss the prime sap period.
- Maple trees must be mature in order for them to be tapped. Measure around the trunk of the tree about 4 feet above the ground. The trunk should measure 10 to 12 inches in circumference at this point. Measure at this height as it is the approximate place to place the taps.
- Place a spout in the trunk of the tree approximately 4 feet above the ground. If the wood seems solid, drill a hole 2 inches deep. Hammer the spout into the hole and hang a bucket from the spout. Be sure that the bucket has a lid to keep animals and dirt from getting into it. You can tap the tree in several places around the trunk.
- Sap flows for roughly six weeks between the last of the frost and the first budding of the trees. Even though it flows for a relatively lengthy period, the height of production may only be for roughly two weeks. Each tap hole should garner about 10 gallons of sap each season. Because the sap is only 2 percent sugar, you will need 40 gallons of sap to create 1 gallon of pure maple syrup.
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