![]() ![]() Knowing when to tap is a judgment each winter based on the arrival of the frosts and weather conditions. Apart from this initial pruning and leaf mulch, the grove has not received any fertilizers or irrigation.ĭave regards the tapping of the trees as part art and part science. In the early years, the lower branches were pruned off in early summer to create straight tappable trunks and an open forest floor for ease of access. “It used to be that we had good reliable frosts from the end of May through till September during the 80’s but now the good frosts are often not happening until mid-June.” If he was planting again now he would consider areas further south with good rainfall and more reliable frosts. Dave has noticed the effects of climate change on the harvests from his grove over the last 30 years. The trees are harvested for sap in winter when the onset of frosts concentrate the sugars in the sap and the freezing action forces the sap to flow upwards from the roots during the warmth of the day. Maple trees need good drainage, moisture levels, and reliable cold winters to produce well. You can see why the Canadians put the maple leaf on their flag. The timber is also highly valued for its strength and resilience, being used in bowling alleys. In autumn the grove glows with golden foliage clinging to the stately upright trees. ![]() And before they are of a size to tap for syrup, they would indeed make a beautiful amenity tree. More of that long-term thinking led him to expound the idea of starting plantings of them now along suitable public land for inhabitants of future centuries to reap the benefit of. He knows of 160m old trees in India with a girth of over 1.5m. The sugar maple is a long-lived tree that Dave believes could be tapped for at least 300 years once established. The trees have not been bothered by any pests or diseases. Before his grove was established, the received wisdom was that it could take up to 40 years before sugar maple trees could be tapped, however the remarkable growth rates Dave has achieved in Nelson have shown that some trees can achieve the tappable girth of 25cm within just 20 years. Obviously a man to take a long-term view of things, he planted the trees as a bit of an experiment and to benefit future generations with the knowledge of how and if sugar maples would be a viable crop for New Zealand. Now an architectural designer, an early career in the US Forest Service and an active involvement in the NZ Farm Forestry Association fueled Dave’s interest in growing trees for timber, shelter, beauty and food. Thirty years later and the trees are now a towering grove of graceful trunks, reaching upwards of 20 meters and carpeting the earth where 3m high scrub stood with a clean blanket of beautiful leaves. In 1984, Dave planted the first of 200 sugar maple trees, Acer saccharum, in a sheltered hollow on his 4-hectare property. Thanks to the forethought of New Zealander Dave DeGray, I’ve been not only able to fill my jug, but a whole bucket of fresh sap from his secluded grove of sugar maple, right here in the coastal Tasman hills. Thirty odd years later I’ve been doing my own impression of a bear filling my little jug. The thought that something so sweet and delicious could come out of a tree captured my young imagination. An aunt in Canada sent me a musical book about a family of bears and their maple syrup jug that played the Little Brown Jug jingle when you turned a handle. Ever since I was a little tot I’ve been fascinated by maple syrup. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |