pruning land for a sugar bush?

[ryguy777]

hello everyone! i was wondering what some basic things i should know for improving my sugar bush. like what trees i should take down around the maples, and i guess just what ever you think i should know in order to improve the sap production. i would appreciate any input, thanks!

[bill m]

I am in the second year of a project to create a sugar bush for someone. I am taking out everything that is not a sugar maple at this time. After this phase is complete we will look at what is left, how the trees are responding and start thinning out the trees that don't have good form and crowns. We will also be looking at spacing to give the remaining trees room to develop big crowns which is needed for sugar production. I am also in the final stages of a logging and timber stand improvement in my sugar bush. Mine is a little different in that I don't have as much young regeneration ( under 4" dbh ) as the other one. I am thinning to release the crowns of  the maples but if there are other species that will not be competing with a maple I am leaving it. One of the problems with creating a mono culture is everything could be lost to insects or disease.

[celliott]

What size classes are your trees?
For maximum sugar production, as bill said, you want full, deep crowns, as large as possible. This means the trees need growing space. If you identify quality crop trees, and release them on at least 2 sides you should see some improvement. If the trees are already mature sized, you might not have as much of an effect as if it were pole size timber. Be careful of leaving too large of a gap when thinning however. Sugar maple is a very shade tolerant species. Sun scald could occur if released too much, as well as epicormic branching. Too large of a gap might encourage other species to regenerate also. One problem we have here is hay scented fern in large open gaps. This fern can effectively choke out sugar maple regeneration.

Where are you located?
A book you might look into, is the North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual. Lots of good information in that book about managing and tending a stand for sap production at all ages and size classes.

[ryguy777]

thank you! i'll look into that book. im in upstate new york. most of the trees are all mature size. im 16 and im wanting to keep a family tradtion going, honestly i dont know a whole lot about improving a sugar bush so i really appreciate your guys' input!

[beenthere]

Good on you for having the interest and exploring a plan. And even better to have such goals at your age. Good luck to you in accomplishing what you set out to do.  8)

[ryguy777]

thank you beenthere

[Chuck White]

I would recommend that even if your sugarbush is going to be pipeline, keep the roadways open.

When little trees sprout up, in the roadway, cut them down, that way you won't have to alter your layout!

Other than that, all I could recommend is to make sure you give the trees plenty of room!

Good luck to you!

Whereabouts are you in "upstate"?

[GAB]

Back in the early 80's I cleared all the trees except the maples in an area thinking I was doing a good thingto improve the maples.  A forester told me that the maples in that area were going to die of sun poisoning which I think is the same thing referred to as sun scald in an earlier thread.  Well he was right as by 1988 only one on the edge was left.  My suggestion would be to not take too much out in an area at one time. Gerald

[ryguy777]

im in broome county, so yeah right around all the gas drilling, but the pipe line doesnt go on us.... the nearest pipe line i can think of is about 5 miles away in tioga county