- [Mark] This is Mark Isselhardt, Maple Specialist,
with the University of Vermont Extension,
and this is another Vermont Maple Minute.
Sugar makers rely on healthy, abundant maple trees
to provide sap each spring.
Taken together, a group of maple trees
managed for sap collection is called a sugar bush.
Developing a healthy, productive sugar bush
takes time and effort.
Forests are highly competitive environments,
with trees vying for water, nutrients,
and perhaps most of all, light.
To maximize sap production,
decisions need to be made about which trees to cut
and which trees will receive more light to grow.
Choosing which trees to save
and which to cut can be difficult.
However, growth of all trees will not reach their potential
if allowed to be overcrowded.
Maple trees with the best form,
a lack of significant decay or other wounds,
and a deep healthy crown will grow fastest
and produce the most sap.
Retaining at least 25% non-sugar maple in your woods
will help reduce the impact of maple pests
and create a more robust forest ecosystem.