augers

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boubindica

Forager
Mar 13, 2018
155
33
London
How do i decide what diameter auger i need for tapping birch? It's just for me, not a commercial affair. Having said that, it would be nice some time to collect enough to make a bottle of syrup. Does a bigger hole equate with more sap? The one i was looking at is 16" in length and 3/8" in diameter. Will that do for my purposes do you think? Or should i go for one with a larger diameter? (I think the other one was about 12mm in diameter). Or, should i be thinking even larger in diameter?
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
No need for an auger. Use a knife, and use the tip to ’press cut’ a hole less than 0.5 x 0.5 cm.
Do only cut through the bark, stop just as you reach the wood.
Unless the British grown Birch trees ate more sensitive than the Finno-Scandinavian ones, the tree will be fine.

If a small cut increases the damage and deatch of a tree, then loss of branches, deer damage etc would do too.

Do not tap young trees, the trunk should be large.
 

baggins

Full Member
Apr 20, 2005
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Coventry (and surveying trees uk wide)
The Birch trees in the UK are, generally, a lot more prone to infection than their Canadian and Scandi cousins. Due to the milder climate we enjoy, the bark is thinner and pathogens aren't killed off by the extreme cold.
I know a lot of folk do it over here, but i would be cautious unless you have a good number of trees (and, of course, permission to do so, if they aren't your trees).
 
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boubindica

Forager
Mar 13, 2018
155
33
London
This is all you need

DSCF0048 by Mark D Emery, on Flickr
i actually tried it with a knife on a huge Birch i found in a local park, but gave up because i couldn't get the cup positioned to collect the sap right, and ended up with two thimblesfull of bitter brownish yuk, despite it leaving the tree as a clear liquid... i sealed the small wound by pressing with my finger for about two minutes and left, determined to try again another day in another way... it was youtube that made me think about getting an auger, but if i'd thought to slip a stick in there, it would have been successful...

is that just a little stick you found?
 

WealdenWoodsman

Forager
Oct 10, 2017
161
44
place
Personally I wouldn't drill a hole in a birch tree.

You're opening up the tree to disease and you can't seal the wound properly long term.

Have a read of this thread about it. I know a lt of the pictures are gone but the info is still there.

If you still insist on doing it then the smallest hole you can make is best.

I did some work on an estate last year and the gamekeeper showed me a patch of woodland closest to the village. The local scout group (with good intentions I might add) had used the land with the permission of the landowner for shelter building etc a few years before. Anyway, rather than just tapping one tree with one hole they had a go with at least 10-15 birch trees, all of which had at least 5 auger holes (some excessively large)

Only two of the trees was in a good way, the rest were either completely dead or well on there way. I personally cannot justify tapping, in a survival situation yes but not on an afternoons bimble. Not saying those that do are in anyway irresponsible, rather suggesting thinking twice before tapping.:)

PS. I might be heading over that way in the next few weeks so will try and get some pics to show the extent of the damage.
 
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Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,440
2,861
W.Sussex
Personally I wouldn't drill a hole in a birch tree.

You're opening up the tree to disease and you can't seal the wound properly long term.

Have a read of this thread about it. I know a lt of the pictures are gone but the info is still there.

If you still insist on doing it then the smallest hole you can make is best.

I agree, but only to a certain extent. Birch are fast growing, often the first species of tree to populate open ground, they have a thin crown to allow slower species such as Oak to germinate beneath them. Their lifespan is 40-60 years, so a very young lived species that stabilise and drain wet soil, protect the more important species, and break down quickly enriching poor soil. So, I'm not too precious about them. I wouldn't tap one because the sap tastes awful. :yuck:
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
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Yep. Coke is nicer!

I have only tapped birch when I was experimenting doing birch syrup, birch wine, birch beer and birch sweets in my young days. In those days, 3 decades past, you could not buy stuff like that.
Taste? Ok if you had nothing else.
There is a reason nobody except some New Age Hippy Vegan Greens use and promote that stuff.
Birch Juice is the New Coconut Water?
Gimme a Pepsi any day!
:)
I have been pruning birch since though. No damage, even if fairly large branches were cut.

Must be the British climate that makes for weaklings!
 

Paulm

Full Member
May 27, 2008
1,089
183
Hants
Even less invasive for the tree, just break a twig or small branch



I did it this way too at the same time and no noticeable difference in volume over a short period, couple of hours maybe

 

Tengu

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
12,780
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Wiltshire
Yes, why tap birches?

its just sugar water, after all. Has no real nutrient value and probably stuff you should not eat.
 

Paulm

Full Member
May 27, 2008
1,089
183
Hants
Yes, why tap birches?

its just sugar water, after all. Has no real nutrient value and probably stuff you should not eat.
I was underwhelmed by the birch sap to be honest, nice to have tried it but no great desire to bother again :)

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
It is goid to try everything at least ince, and make your own opinion.

Now, imagine being one of those food fashionistas, and spending good money on processed and bottled ( in plastic bottles) Birch Water.
Organic of course. Wild caught too, I guess....
:)
 

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