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How to Tap a Walnut Tree
How to Tap a Walnut Tree. Most people think of a Maple tree when it comes to tapping a tree for sap, but there are actually several trees that produce a sweet-flavored liquid of mostly water. You can tap these other trees either for their sap or for a source of water in times when drinking water is not available. The process is simple with the...
Most people think of a Maple tree when it comes to tapping a tree for sap, but there are actually several trees that produce a sweet-flavored liquid of mostly water. You can tap these other trees either for their sap or for a source of water in times when drinking water is not available. The process is simple with the right tools, and you can tap walnut trees in the early spring, after a period of freezing and then thawing, for an abundant supply of sap.
Things You'll Need
Drill
Spout/tubing
Bucket
Branch plug
Select a spot to drill the tapping hole, 4-feet up from the ground on a walnut tree with a diameter of 10 inches or more. Make sure the hole will be a southern exposure, where the sap will flow easier than the colder northern side.
Drill a 2-inch hole at a slightly upwards angle into the sound wood of the walnut tree, making the diameter of the hole as wide as your tapping spout or tubing.
Push the spout or tubing into position in the hole, making it fit securely.
Position a collection container, such as a cleaned soda bottle or bucket, under the lip of the spout or tube, collecting the clear sap.
Collect the sap as soon as the container has filled and as long as the sap flows freely, cooking it down into syrup or drinking it as water.
Plug the hole with a straight 2-inch section of branch the same diameter as the hole, to prevent the sap from flowing unnecessarily.
