How many taps?
How many taps your trees can support, and how much sap and syrup to expect this season.
In the app, on the Plan & tap stageAverage trunk diameter (DBH, at 4.5 ft)
Collection system
Tapping guidelines
| Trunk diameter (DBH) | Taps | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10" | 0 | Too small. Let it grow. |
| 10–17" | 1 | Standard single tap |
| 18–24" | 2 | Opposite sides of the trunk |
| 25"+ | 3 | Mature, healthy crowns only |
Why the system changes your yield, not your tap count
Tap count comes from tree size alone. A tap hole is a wound, and the tree needs enough living wood to compartmentalize it. What your collection system changes is how much sap each tap gives. Buckets catch what drips. Gravity tubing catches more by keeping a sealed run to the tank. Vacuum, whether the natural vacuum a 3/16" line generates on a slope or a mechanical pump holding 20+ inches, pulls measurably more sap from the same hole, nearly doubling bucket yields in a good year.
The ranges this calculator uses come from published research: Cornell and Penn State for buckets, Cornell's Childs studies for tubing, and UVM Proctor's vacuum trials. The honest caveat from those same sources: the normal band is wide. Weather swings a season 25% either way, so treat the range as a planning envelope, not a promise.
Rotate your tap holes
Each year, drill at least 6 inches above or below and 4 inches to the side of old holes. Many producers simply work around the trunk in a spiral. A tree tapped thoughtfully will outlive the sugarmaker.
Sources: Cornell Maple Program; Penn State Extension; UVM Proctor Maple Research Center; USDA NASS.
Put every tree on the map.
SweetRun maps your sugarbush pin by pin, tracks tap rotation per tree, analyzes gravity flow on your lines, and estimates your tubing order. It works offline, on your phone, with no account.
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