Deer love sugar beets
- Thread starter nitro27
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- sugar beets
Can't use RR for food plots. 
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
I have a plot that is about an acre that I am considering planting sugar beets in. I have also thrown around the idea of splitting it in half and doing a rotation with soybeans. I know they will at least eat the beans. I have had mixed results with turnips, rape etc. in my area so not sure about beets. From what I have read they dont like competition from anything and weed control can be expensive because of the few options you have especially when you have to buy the chemical in a 2.5 gal jug.
Nitro27, can you tell us more about planting time, seeding rates/suppliers and how you controlled weeds.
I have a buddy that hunts about 3-4 miles away from me. He has had good luck with beets but he just plants them late summer mainly for the greens. He says the deer pound them. I want something to feed deer all winter.
Nitro27, can you tell us more about planting time, seeding rates/suppliers and how you controlled weeds.
I have a buddy that hunts about 3-4 miles away from me. He has had good luck with beets but he just plants them late summer mainly for the greens. He says the deer pound them. I want something to feed deer all winter.
John-W-WI
Administrator
I planted RR Beets one year too. The only year I think we could buy them in WI. It was the prettiest plot I think I've ever had. And the deer loved them. Never tried conventional beets.
-John
Greta&Gus
5 year old buck +
Don't waste your time.
John-W-WI
Administrator
I haven't tried since the RR version disappeared. I always thought a guy could "find" some RR beets if he really wanted to. But I've never looked.
-John
nitro27
5 year old buck +
Advantages of growing sugar beets.
1. tonnage my 3 acres yielded 30-35 tons (conservative estimate) could be as high as 50-60 tons
2. easy to work ground the following year, and good weed control
3. cost way less than corn with no problems working ground (stalks) and higher than beans
1. tonnage my 3 acres yielded 30-35 tons (conservative estimate) could be as high as 50-60 tons
2. easy to work ground the following year, and good weed control
3. cost way less than corn with no problems working ground (stalks) and higher than beans
Bill
Administrator
Bill
Administrator
It's worth a call. I met him at Tony's years ago. I knew he had purchased a large inventory of legal seed when it was available but just figured it was all gone by now.
swat1018
5 year old buck +
Bill, if you can work a deal, I may take some too. Also, I make it to MI a few times a year and may be able to pick them up.
MN Slick
5 year old buck +
I'd like to try them too if you get ahold of some.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
I found a source for sugar beet seed. I decided to give them a shot. The question I have is how much of the root is grown above ground? Yields over 20T/acre sounds great but if the deer cant get to them whats the point. I also wonder what the percent of sucrose could be in a food plot situation. From the research I have done It sound as if fertilizer management can be difficult. They need quite a bit of nitrogen to grow to canopy to shade out weeds but it sound like you want them to starve for N later in the growing season to produce the most sugar. Any input?
Bill
Administrator
Three year rotation is what I read.
But I've also read what Greta&Gus said. Don't waste your time. They start so slow that weeds easily overtake them. That's why the RR gene is so desired.
nitro27
5 year old buck +
Deer have no problem digging them out of the frozen ground, they eat right down the middle, you be surprised just how tough they can bite. RR beets is the only way to go, cost way lower than other chemicals, you might end up spraying roundup 2-3 times. Most farmers in this area go with wheat, beans, then beets.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
Thanks!! This is exactly what I was looking for.
