Sugar Bush Management

The sugar bush is a section of forest or woodlot that has many sugar maple trees large enough to tap, and is used for syrup production. Other types of trees are likely to be present, such as yellow birch, red maple, American beech, and white ash. This mixture of species helps maintain diversity in the sugar bush, may improve forest health, and provides an additional source of income through sales of firewood, sawtimber and veneer, and other wood products.

The sustained health of the sugar bush is essential to the success of the maple syrup operation. Maple producers are careful to manage their sugar bush, or "bush" as they call it, to keep the sugar maple healthy and thriving.

Red Maple Leaves

Although sugar maple is the desired species for syrup production, other species such as red maple may also be used for syrup production; however, the quality and quantity of this syrup is lower. Black maple is also commonly tapped, as it may be difficult for beginning maple producers to distinguish from sugar maple.