Birch sap this spring? And other questions!

[Lucyc]

Hi everyone,
After weeks of scouring my farm for any birch or lime to no avail, I've just found out that we have a local woods (which I never knew, even though I've lived right next to it for 16 years..), and that it has things like maple, lime, birch, hawthorn.. stuff like that: woop woop!

So now I have to ask, so I don't miss my golden window of opportunity - I know it's normally in March, but is there an indicator of when birches/maples should be tapped? Because I was thinking about how screwed up the seasons are this year that the time could well come and go before I even start to think about tapping..
Does maple/birch sap taste different?
Also for tapping, I don't plan on using a drill or anything (since I don't have one..) just a knife - how far should i push it in? What should I use as the tap? Would a split piece of elder be ok? Or something along those lines maybe?
What other uses of these trees are there? I know birch bark is a good tinder as well , yay!
I'm also excited about the lime because I know it's a good beginner's carving wood and cordage can be made from the bark - I'm sure there are other uses since I seem to always hear about it?

Sorry for all the questions!

Lucy

Edit: Oh and there's also beech - anything bushcrafty there?

 

[bikething]

Hi everyone,
After weeks of scouring my farm for any birch or lime to no avail, I've just found out that we have a local woods (which I never knew, even though I've lived right next to it for 16 years..), and that it has things like maple, lime, birch, hawthorn.. stuff like that: woop woop!

So now I have to ask, so I don't miss my golden window of opportunity - I know it's normally in March, but is there an indicator of when birches/maples should be tapped? Because I was thinking about how screwed up the seasons are this year that the time could well come and go before I even start to think about tapping..
Does maple/birch sap taste different?

presumably you have the landowners permission to be in the woods and making use of what you find there?

AFAIK the best time to start tapping is when the buds start to show with the new leaves peeping out

Also for tapping, I don't plan on using a drill or anything (since I don't have one..) just a knife - how far should i push it in? What should I use as the tap? Would a split piece of elder be ok? Or something along those lines maybe?

the advantage of using a drill ios it makes a NEAT hole that's easy to plug afterwards to prevent the tree getting infected... Pushing a knife into the tree will make it difficult to plug the hole and leave the tree open to infection

What other uses of these trees are there? I know birch bark is a good tinder as well , yay!
I'm also excited about the lime because I know it's a good beginner's carving wood and cordage can be made from the bark - I'm sure there are other uses since I seem to always hear about it?

Sorry for all the questions!

Lucy

lots of uses - a search on here will keep you busy for a while.... have a look for bowdrill / hearth woods, like Sycamore for example?

Edit: Oh and there's also beech - anything bushcrafty there?

A tap on the bonce if you're not careful where you camp

 

[spamel]

I reckon it won't be long now, I tasted some at Wharncliff this weekend just gone that was oozing out. It was the sweetest I've ever tasted it. Up in Silverwood, I noticed the ash buds are turning green.