November 10, 2024

VIDEO: Does Collecting Maple Sap Hurt the Tree?


A few years ago, we posted a video about our first attempt at making maple syrup, and ever since then, we’ve received a number of questions about the process. But one question stuck with me ever since. So in this video, we figured it was about time we got to the bottom of it.

Does collecting maple sap hurt the tree?

Previous video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZj_4-iqwlI

28 thoughts on “VIDEO: Does Collecting Maple Sap Hurt the Tree?

  1. I feel like there’s some myth busting to do with some trees now, what’s inside should cut that that portion of the tree out with the hole and see exactly what happened

  2. I think a more important question is whether tapping maple trees shortens the life expectancy of the tree. Is there any studies on the life expectancy of maple trees that have been tapped?

  3. Not sentient, not conscious isn't proven yet, we just think they aren't because they aren't sentient or conscious like us. You can take a 1 inch sidebranch, cut it off pointy and put a bottle around it, then put a rope around the branch so it will point downwards. It Will hurt the tree far less and can be done with more branches than one. We here in the Netherlands do it with whith berch and even easier, the linden tree linden makes alot of small branshes at the bottom trunk every year that you need to cut away anyway farter in the season.

  4. I've been tapping maple trees for over 35 years and I've have always hammered in a wood plug in the hole after the tap has been removed. For a guy that knows so much about trees and the effects of tapping one, you didn't show much respect for it when you walked away and left a wound in it to possibly get infected. I thought a wood plug back in the hole was practiced by everyone, my mistake.

  5. some plug up the holes when tapping season is over. after a few dry sunny days. using a stick or plug made from the same tree. to help the healing process.

  6. We as the superiors on earth are mentally ill. i mean sure, go get the tree juice, the problem is all the fucking asphalt needed for all the maniacs still driving aroiund in cars. imagine living 7000years ago and somebody said" OI in 7000 years all the trees will be gone because we we think it makes sense to kill all trees so we, in our lazy way of living, can drive around in boxes that pollutes earth at an incredible haste. The reason we do this is because rich people tell us to do.." "whats a rich people?" "a rich people are some who gathered made a fictive thing that we will all live our lives for, and its called money. we will put all animals in small cages, we will tell ourselves that we own a part of earth and that it is ours. Also nobody will talk to one another eventhough everyone is able to communicate around the world, we will be completely distanced, and only talk to people we know. All of us will come to a point where we think earth is overpopulated, but we will still squeeze out even more people, because we have killed everything that can hurt us. And even when earth tries to stop us, we play gods and prevent it from happening"

    I hate mankind and i think that if you own a car you deserve to have your legs broken

  7. Personally, we also tap Birch here on the East coast in our food forest but we drink both Birch and Maple sap directly and skip the syrup making. Full of electrolytes and other health benefits.

  8. We have a poplar tree that has had a few different kinds of pests that have drilled (woodpecker) or eaten (moth) into the bark. To seal the holes, I tried something that I read about where you take a capsule (or more) of cayenne pepper and open the capsule and stuff them into the tree. This has worked to seal the holes several times. However, a few years ago, one hole did not want to heal. I couldn't understand why the tree kept dropping leaves and continued to do so all summer. After doing some research, I discovered the culprit was a wood moth and it did a lot of damage. I had to make a paste of about a quarter cup of cayenne pepper and stuff it into the hole (which I 'cleaned' out with a long twig first). I can't be certain, but I think it may have been stuffed full of moth eggs, which the larvae would have hatched and continued to eat. Anyway, I looked at it this year and it was amazing how the granny-apple-sized hole was now nearly finished healing. It still has a few inches to go to completely cover-up, but I thought others might want to know.

  9. I never bothered to look into what exactly happens to the tree after a tab for SAP. That was really informative 🙂 I wonder… Do you think hammering in a maple peg into the hole would benefit the tree?

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