ONmaplesyrup

Hi everyone!

My name is Sophie Krolikowski, and I am the acting Maple, Tree Nut, and Agroforestry Specialist for the next year while Jenny Liu is on leave.

Adapted from article submitted to the Maple Digest in May 2023.

Sap Flow Summary

The 2023 maple season was another in a long line of years that have been record-breaking in some strange capacity due to climate change. Winter was a mixture of warm weather punctuated by severe snowstorms.

On the heels of this unpredictable winter, spring came early and unwelcome to Southern Ontario in the latter half of January. This left producers of all sizes scrambling to put their taps in, as sap doesn’t usually start flowing in the warmest areas until around February 15^th. A few large producers and prescient mid-size producers who were tapped early had their first boils by the third week of January. Prolonged stretches of fairly ideal maple weather meant that this was an extra-long season for those in the South, and by the end of March many producers had experienced yet another record-setting crop.

FROM THE CFIA: Oak wilt has been found in a residential area in Niagara Falls, Ontario. This is the first confirmed detection of oak wilt in Canada. To help prevent the spread of this detection, movement restrictions are in place on affected properties. We are working with other federal, provincial and municipal governments to survey the area and determine next steps.

What is oak wilt?

Oak wilt is a serious disease pest of oak trees and is caused by the fungus Bretziella fagacearum. It is an invasive disease of unknown origin, and it grows on the outer sapwood of all oak trees.

Sap Flow Overview

The 2023 maple season is finally over all across Ontario. Reports coming in have confirmed that folks in colder areas had below-average seasons, with some from Algoma and the northern Algonquin region making as little as 50% of an average year’s crop. Producers in the latest-producing regions are busy cleaning up.

If you’re in Algoma or Eastern, please fill out the sap flow survey by noon tomorrow (Wednesday) if you wish to contribute to the weekly report. I would love to hear from you even if you have already pulled your taps. Everyone else is of course still welcome to fill out the survey or share any interesting findings from their year. You can also text or email me with updates at:

Mobile: 519 835 5872

Email: jenny.liu2@ontario.ca

Sap Flow Overview

As of this report, the maple season has come to an end for everyone but some folks in Ottawa Valley and Algoma region. Most folks were done by mid-week last week, and some were able to hold out until the end. The prolonged and unusual hot weather melted significant snowpacks and caused both hard and soft maple across the province to bud out.

The end of maple season is nigh! Please fill out the sap flow survey by noon tomorrow (Wednesday) if you wish to contribute to the weekly report. I would love to hear from you even if you have already pulled your taps. Reports on ice storm damage are also welcome. You can also text or email me with updates at:

Mobile: 519 835 5872

Email: jenny.liu2@ontario.ca

Sap Flow Overview

The unexpected warm weather of this week signals the abrupt end of the sugaring season for many in the province. Some folks in the colder regions are holding out until the weekend, but sap has definitively stopped flowing for those in many parts of Southern and Central Ontario. Yields range from excellent in Southwestern, below average/pending for Northern and Eastern Ontario, and average for everyone else.

It’s been a tough year weather-wise for many out in Eastern and Northern Ontario. Sugarbushes went from being frozen solid to thawing in 10-20 degree Celcius spring weather (with no freezing nights) in the matter of one or two weeks. The ice storm came at the most inopportune time for those in Eastern, coinciding with the largest runs of the season. Some producers have reported extensive woodlot damage that in some cases ended their seasons early.

Sap Flow Overview

Another week has come and gone, and the difference between the syrup yield of the southernmost and northernmost regions is increasing. Most of southwest appears to have pulled taps and are enjoying having made a bumper crop, while up in Algoma folks are reporting being 1-2 weeks behind a regular season with many yet to have significant boils.

Sap Flow Overview

Spring is certainly the most exciting time of year.. each week of the maple season brings about new developments at a breakneck pace that likely no other crop can match. Producers in the far South are finishing their seasons, and there are many reports of 2023 being a record year, especially for those who started early. These folks began pulling taps and cleaning in the last week. There’s also a shortage of bulk barrels in this area due to the unexpected bumper crop, which is having an effect on supply in other areas of the province.

Further north and east, the only signs of spring are birds returning all over the province. The last week has seen generally good sap flow and folks are slowly but surely approaching their annual average yield.