The stark Truth about Birch-tapping.

[Leigh Robinson]

Clay cover may be a good answer as mentioned above?
If we can get a definitive answer, please make it a sticky at the top of the thread so we can read later on and tap trees without killing them. Perhaps an email to some authority e.g. arborcultural society? if that exists?

 

[cranmere]

I've mailed a friend who is a tree surgeon to see if she has any useful information.

 

[JonathanD]

Excellent. It would be good to get more info. I'm meeting up with a tree specialist from the Woodland Trust next week, so will ask him his thoughts too.

 

[bambodoggy]

I think we're talking cross purposes. I never said just because you can't see it it isn't there - and you have agreed with my last point which was in fact my original and only point.

Fair enough....I rearly come across as easy to understand on forums anyway lol

 

[Repperz]

Reckon this should be a sticky for a while - people need to know.

Seriously appreciate the heads up and good on you for checking

 

[Lynx]

This is quite shocking if its affecting our silver birch in this way. However, with regard to the trees that tapping does not appear to harm; why don't they use a plug with a tap on the end of it (i.e. tap as in bathroom sink tap type of thing). Surely all you need to do each year thereafter to turn the tap on to pour out the sap? Why keep boring new holes? There has to be a reason this isn't being done I guess; anyone know what it is?

 

[cranmere]

Karen my tree surgeon friend, says that the tendency of birch to keep leaking is quite well known, also its vulnerability to infection. She says she doesn't like working with birch for that reason. Pruning whole branches is apparently less of a problem because the tree usually dries over the cut OK and because of that it doesn't usually get rot, but damage to the main trunk is always at risk of infection, as is a wound caused by ripping off a branch because the damage goes deep into the wood. She can't suggest a better method of sealing a drilled hole but suspects that the shallower cut versions would be safer. She's going to investigate a bit more so I'll come back if she finds anything useful.

 

[Toddy]

This is quite shocking if its affecting our silver birch in this way. However, with regard to the trees that tapping does not appear to harm; why don't they use a plug with a tap on the end of it (i.e. tap as in bathroom sink tap type of thing). Surely all you need to do each year thereafter to turn the tap on to pour out the sap? Why keep boring new holes? There has to be a reason this isn't being done I guess; anyone know what it is?

I said that to HWMBLT years ago I thought about one of those self tapper taps (that didn't come out right, did it ?) the ones that screw into the barrels, I mean.

M

 

[EmmaD]

How would you clean it. You would be drinking that black sprokkitty grollup that festers in there over time. Yuck.

 

[mountainm]

lYou would be drinking that black sprokkitty grollup

Guinness! 😊

 

[Toddy]

How would you clean it. You would be drinking that black sprokkitty grollup that festers in there over time. Yuck.

Good taps are made of brass. Brass leaches out miniscule amounts of copper in liquid. That copper kills bacteria, etc.,
True, in concentration it'd kill the tree, but it's not so likely to do that as it seems the buggits do.

The copper that's leached out is known about in jam making. Old brass jelly pans leach tiny amounts into the jam; that leachate stops jam going mouldy. New stainless steel maslin pans don't do that. I found jam I'd made ten years ago, and when opened it was perfect
I can't say that about jam I made this last three years in the stainless steel pan Even the elderflower syrup had to be used up pronto.

Whether it's a good idea in the birch tapping, I don't know, but it's kind of a relief to know I'm not the only one who has weird ideas

M

 

[EmmaD]

Guinness! 

It certainly did not look or smell like Guinness to me. Otherwise I would have licked it to see.

 

[Chiseller]

Cheers JD et al , very interesting and informative thread.

On a lighter note.....wasn't there a song abaht this....summat along lines of.....
'guns don't kill trees......tappers do ' by a Welsh group called Goldie looking paper birch strain ?

Nailed Horbury Bridge rapids .....wooooooo

 

[Clouston98]

This is a real shame, thanks for bringing it to everyone's attention though Jonathan, could be worth becoming a sticky.

I feel bad for tapping a few trees, but I've seen some and they look ok, may intentions were good and I too believed it would all heal well. We know for the future and I'll not be using an auger to tap again, though the augers still a good tool for among camp furniture and the like, I'm babbling now sorry, thanks for the heads up for the future .

 

[Macaroon]

How would you clean it. You would be drinking that black sprokkitty grollup that festers in there over time. Yuck.

sprokkity grollup..................What a great description!

 

[demographic]

Arboristsite mentions quite a lot about commercial tree climbers who use spikes/spurs on trees that aren't to be cut down.
Its not a recommended practice because they say it causes infection. On a tree that's coming down anyway its just not a problem.

I suppose this is something along those lines.
Obviously maple seems different because they are tapped for years on end? I'm no tree surgeon but suspect that they would be the people to ask on the subject.

 

[bambodoggy]

Arboristsite mentions quite a lot about commercial tree climbers who use spikes/spurs on trees that aren't to be cut down.
Its not a recommended practice because they say it causes infection. On a tree that's coming down anyway its just not a problem.

I suppose this is something along those lines.
Obviously maple seems different because they are tapped for years on end? I'm no tree surgeon but suspect that they would be the people to ask on the subject.

Very true indeed, spikes are (rightly so) very frowned upon nowadays unless we are doing a full sectional dismantle of a tree. If not then we use throw lines etc to lay ropes that we use to get up the tree. In some cases we will use spikes once we are above the level the tree is being reduced to and then take them off as we decend. Tree reductions and "topping" trees is also finally becoming more frowned upon but we are still asked to do it fairly often, I try my very best to explain why this shouldn't be done to tree and some clients will accept this and look at other options with us but others just want it done....it used to annoy me that they call a tree professional in and then won't accept his advice but now I just get on with it having lost jobs to other more disingenuous tree surgeons...I figure if it's going to happen anyway then it might as well be me paid to do it than some tree butcher! This all came about through the teachings of Dr Shigo and others and is now standard circulum syllabus for most tree surgery training courses.

I am, for those that don't know me, a tree surgeon btw

 

[vizsla]

Well done JD for putting the effort in to Alert everyone.
this is the problem when a chap on tv promotes doing certain things, people rightly so presume it's the correct method, but just as worrying is how many wanabees have gone out and tapped a tree but couldn't be bothered to even make a plug.
same with over things like pignuts, people see it on tv and go out with no knowledge and end up digging up all sorts

 

[rik_uk3]

Interesting thread that has made me think 'Why'

I can understand tapping Maple to make syrup perhaps but why on earth do people feel the need to tap Birch, scar the tree, often kill the tree is beyond me, I really really do not understand it.

I sincerely hope this thread puts people off tapping Birch...just because you can do something does not mean you have to.

 

[mountainm]

On the flip side I think it's also worth remembering this is done commercially in Russia and Eastern Europe and Northern China in a similar manner to maple syrup in North America, it would be odd to kill off your cash cow . But one method that is advocated is simply cutting off a small branch (thumbsize) and putting a bottle on the end.