The break in the cold late last week was welcomed by all, including our maple trees which started to give off their wonderful sap which we boil down into maple syrup. Well, warm weather and temperatures that stay well above freezing are not very good for sap production.
I just read about the process which is called positive and negative flow which is how sap flows up into the tree and water moves into the tree through the root systems. Pressures are created within the tree which controls the sap flow. The flow is controlled by temperatures that stay below freezing at night and go above freezing during the day. Not wishing for colder weather since we are in the business of members coming out and playing golf, I do wish for some near normal night time temperatures with some above average day temperatures for our members to enjoy the facility. We have a 2-3 week window to draw sap and we are running out of time. As trees get closer to setting their flower buds, the composition of the sap changes making it taste too bitter for maple syrup.
Article from last spring when warmer temperatures hit the northeast maple syrup production areas.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/us/27syrup.html?_r=1
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