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The Mini-Octopuses!

by Justin Roy

Where will the mini-octopuses allow you to get more yield?

You have probably already noticed in your maple grove or in the one where you work sectors where the 5/16 go up towards the main line. Well in all these sectors, there is a loss of yield if there are no mini-octopuses.

As soon as having 1% slope on your 5/16 prevents you from tapping your trees at a comfortable height, a mini-octopus should be installed. So, all areas where the ground does not slope towards your collector need mini-octopuses to give their full potential.

You're probably wondering if it's really worth it.
According to our tests, having mini-octopuses in the right places will allow you to get up to a pound more per tap for the maple trees concerned.

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So here's how to make mini octopuses.

To make your mini-octopus with ease, get the multifunction pliers
🍁 Lineviper! 🍁
Click on the link to order it:
 
You will also need some bent hooks !
 
If you're a regular, you probably already know how to do it. But if not, I'll explain how to make your mini-octopuses.
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To start, you go to the head of the 5/16 and put it at an accessible height. If it is notched, preferably no higher than 13'' below the notch. Then, you come back towards the main by giving a minimum slope of 1% to your 5/16 between each tree that supports it. To properly level the 5/16 you can use an optical level, a clinometer or a small spirit level. As you are in an area where the 5/16 were counter-slopes, you will quickly reach a height where your falls will be stretched to the maximum or so low that you will be at the height of the snow. It is therefore to this tree that you attach your 5/16 at the head of the line. Preferably with end-of-line hooks or end-of-line forks (Crow's foot).
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If the tree in question is within 2' of the collector, you will connect the center leg of the goose foot or the leg of the end of line hook that is usually used to make the fall directly to the saddle tee. As below.
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If you are more than 2' from the collector, you make another line head at a height that will allow you to start again by going down towards the next maple tree while having a 1% slope. For the top line head, if you use an end of line hook, you must put it so that the leg that is usually used to make the fall is downwards. You must thus connect the two line heads by the legs. And so on until the collector as you can see in the images below.
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Why will a mini octopus give more yield?

Let me explain! Since our tubing networks are under vacuum, the 5/16s are much more likely to empty when they have a good slope. Very often, they only fill up when they go up. For example, if we take a drop that goes down lower than the 5/16 and goes up towards the T, it will only be full in the part that goes up.


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So, a 5/16 that goes up a slope will have to be full from one end to the other so that the water can enter the main line. Which causes the falls to be full of sap. On the other hand, a 5/16 on a good slope with mini-octopuses will only need to have the risers of the mini-octopuses full to bring water to the hands and the falls will be empty at all times.

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The water column is also much less important with mini-octopuses than in the whole 5/16 when it is counter-slope. This allows to have a better vacuum at the notch on many maples. Since we increase our yield by 5% per in/hg at the notch, it will have a good influence (source: UVM Proctor maple research)

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Thank you for reading to the end, it is very much appreciated. If you have any positive, negative or constructive comments, I invite you to write to me on Messenger, send me an email and even post a little message on my Facebook page.

I would like to know which passages you liked or disliked, which ones you understood more or less well and what information you would have liked to have on the subject.

 

8 comments

  • Bonjour, y a-t-il une baisse de rendement quand même dû au fait de la remontée (perte de .5 lb au pied vertical crois)?

    Gilbert St-Pierre

  • Yves Garand, non DSL je ne conseil pas les mini-pieuvres lorsque vous avez moins de 20 in/hg dans votre maître-ligne.

    La Débacle

  • Bonjours Christian Poulin, 15’ de déniveler fonctionne très bien avec des minis-pieuvres. Effectivement c’est souvent plus facile de travailler avec 3 X 5 pieds.

    La Débacle

  • Bonjour, je me demandais
    J’ai une talle d’environ 125 érables qui est isolées sur mon érablière et qui ne peux être relier pour le moment à ma station de pompage, je veux les relier un à l’autre avec du 5/16 et y aller par gravité pour terminer dans un réservoir 250gal. J’ai un peu de pente au début mais par la suite je suis sur un plateau pour le reste du parcours, est-ce que selon vous le système de mini pieuvre pourrait être utilisé pour augmenter la pente et ainsi garder le vacuum jusqu’au réservoir, merci

    Yves Garand

  • Bonjour, si j’ai 15 pieds de dénivellation puis-je faire cela par étage ( 3 étages de 5 pi ) ou le principe de la mini-pieuvre ne peut s’appliquer ?

    christian poulin

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