Deer love sugar beets

I apologize if this comment hijacks the thread, but can someone please explain to me why changing the Ph would make the plot more likely to be used by the deer? It sounds like we try to blame the Ph for the reason deer won't eat what we planted. I'm asking because it stands to reason the plot is naturally of a similar Ph to the surrounding land. Therefore ALL the plants deer eat, in a plot or otherwise, should all be growing in soil that has a similar Ph and a similar 'sweetness'. Different plants are considered to be sweeter than others but that will be true regardless of the Ph.
 
The PH in my SB plot was 7.6. What is the down fall of having PH above 7? Everything else fertilizer wise was perfect and I hit them with plenty of Urea at planting and again about 6 weeks later.

My soil has PH level of yours 7.6 - 7.9 and have had no problems growing things and the deer feeding on them. I do add PKN to soil depending on soil test. Tend to need more P&K unless growing corn.
 
I apologize if this comment hijacks the thread, but can someone please explain to me why changing the Ph would make the plot more likely to be used by the deer? It sounds like we try to blame the Ph for the reason deer won't eat what we planted. I'm asking because it stands to reason the plot is naturally of a similar Ph to the surrounding land. Therefore ALL the plants deer eat, in a plot or otherwise, should all be growing in soil that has a similar Ph and a similar 'sweetness'. Different plants are considered to be sweeter than others but that will be true regardless of the Ph.

I am just speculating that if rye (or any plant) is growing on soil that has a ph of 4.8 it will be more attractive on soil that is 7.0. I have heard Steve Bartylla refer to putting down lime as sweetening the plot. Just as if you plant a plot with zero fertilizer and top dress a certain area with the required amount for what you are growing I would speculate the area the had the fertilizer would be more attractive. I could be way off track but it just seems likely.

If there is going to be much discussion on this topic we could start a new thread. I for one would like to know some of the answers to these questions. Does anyone have the hard facts on this?
 
I am no pro, and I am not exactly clear what the question was, but I will give my opinion.

If we are comparing a field with low ph, and one with a good ph, the field with good ph will draw and use more nutrients from the soil, therefore in many cases, the plant will taste better for the deer in the plot that has the higher ph that could use more of the nutrients. For an example with just N, my brassica plot wont get much action until I put down the midgrowth N a few weeks after planting, at that point, the deer come in and hammer them.

If the question was why a field would not attract deer that has the same low ph, as the surrounding land, compared to a separate area that had higher ph in the field, and in the woods that surround it, (if that makes sense, because I kinda confused myself typing it) my guess is certain plants have a sweet spot that make the plant taste better for deer. So for an example sugar beets have a sweet spot of 6.5-7ph, if your land and surrounding areas all have soil in the sweet spot of 6.5-7 and you plant sugar beets, those sugar beets will taste much better to the deer, then if your land, and surrounding lands have a ph of say 5.5, or say 7.5, because it is out of the sweet spot for that plant. Which may explain some of the preferences we see for what deer like around different areas.

In my area the normal ph is about 5.7, so if I fix my ph to 6.7, and plant sugar beets, you can be almost assured that the deer will like them, and prefer almost anything I plant in my plot, to what is surrounding my plots. Which is a big draw for the deer. What is growing in my plots will most likely take up more nutrients then the areas surrounding my food plots with lower ph. To even be more of a draw, if I amend my soils with the proper amount of nutrients, including micro nutrients, I can make plants taste even better for the wildlife.

But, as I said, I am not a professional, so I may be just talking out of my butt, but this is my thoughts.
 
I checked my plot on Saturday and they still havent started to eat any of them. I kicked some of them over hoping that the exposed inner part of the beet will help them try it out. If they dont eat any I'll try them again next year but im tempted just to plant all of my plots to ag beans because I know they will at least eat them.
 
I checked my plot on Saturday and they still havent started to eat any of them. I kicked some of them over hoping that the exposed inner part of the beet will help them try it out. If they dont eat any I'll try them again next year but im tempted just to plant all of my plots to ag beans because I know they will at least eat them.

Did they eat any of the plant? Or is it just the bulb they haven't touched yet?
 
I had cattle get into my plot in August. I dont know if it was from that but the beets got a pest or disease of some sort because a good share of the leaves turned brown and crispy. The leaves that were on the beets werent touched and are now wilted to nothing. The bulbs also have been untouched.
 
I have set a goal to attempt beets next year...digging now for a source of the kind you can spray....LOL
 
I have set a goal to attempt beets next year...digging now for a source of the kind you can spray....LOL
I think if you talk with Ed Spenozza (google his website) he sells RR sugar beets but be prepared to part with a few green backs.
 
I think if you talk with Ed Spenozza (google his website) he sells RR sugar beets but be prepared to part with a few green backs.

I tried last year from Ed and was told he didn’t have anymore. So I am not sure if that means out for the year,(early June) or can’t get anymore.


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I tried last year from Ed and was told he didn’t have anymore. So I am not sure if that means out for the year,(early June) or can’t get anymore.


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Not sure. I know on another forum there was a guy who bought 100lbs and was dividing them down in 1 lb increments. Might happen again next year.
 
I checked on my sugar beet plot yesterday and they have yet to touch one. ????
 
I have gotten less then a handful of deer pictures since the end of deer season. They are obviously wintering somewhere else in my case. I have about 2 acres of beets, radishes, and turnips they arent touching. Every year since I have planted them, they would hammer them until they were gone, this year, not a deer to eat them. Not sure what happened.
 
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My turnip, rape, and radish plot for the most part isn't being eaten either. My rye is getting limited use. All of the deer in my area are feeding in large agricultural alfalfa fields. It has been this way for quite a while.
 
Alfalfa is what a lot of our area deer live off of too. I don't get why a lot of people say it's useless after the snow hits?

Bummer to you guys for spending all that time/money and no use. If the deer aren't there, you can't really blame it on the beets!
 
Just got the call, Ed's getting his sugar beets tomorrow. Order early if you want them, he runs out.
PM me if you want the phone number. I'm not putting it on the net.
 
Just got the call, Ed's getting his sugar beets tomorrow. Order early if you want them, he runs out.
PM me if you want the phone number. I'm not putting it on the net.

Ordered mine from Ed a couple months ago. He told me he would be shipping them out in mid-March. Sounds like he is right on schedule.
 
Just got the call, Ed's getting his sugar beets tomorrow. Order early if you want them, he runs out.
PM me if you want the phone number. I'm not putting it on the net.
Bill, I'm assuming his sugar beets aren't of the roundup ready variety? What's his cost per pound, and what's the seeding rate per acre?

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Sent you a PM
 
BUMP

Any pictures from this years beet plots?
 
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