Ive got a new plot for Sugar Beets

[foggy]

.....and I have a dilemma. I need to get the "old" clover plot nuked before I till it for the beets. Is it too early for round-up to work on this clover....which is barely emerging? Then in ten days I would till it before planting the RR Sugar Beets. Suggestions timing or planting tips? I sure wish I had prep'ed this plot last fall. Better to wait for warm?

(I'd like to get the beets in the ground at the right time......but it's been so cold.....and looks cold for a week or more.)

 

[mikmaze]

flip the clover under, disc, plant beets you may get a bit of clover on the flip seams, but the beets should be able to handle themselves No?

 

[foggy]

OK.....gotcha on the planting date (with the corn).

I figured my clover would be quite persistent.....so I thought nuking it early would make sense. Guess it doesn't matter?

I'll get my fertilizer down....then till it in....in a week or so as the weather improves. Hopefully the soil warms up soon. I want BIG beets. :eek::D

Thanks for the advice / sounding board!!

 

[sandbur]

tom-I saved 3 of those fruit tree spikes. Why not drop one in amongst the beets and see what happens in the immediate area? I am going to try that with beets and turnips.
Also got some 'baga seed.
I kept the bigger (90 day?) spikes for this.

 

[foggy]

tom-I saved 3 of those fruit tree spikes. Why not drop one in amongst the beets and see what happens in the immediate area? I am going to try that with beets and turnips.
Also got some 'baga seed.
I kept the bigger (90 day?) spikes for this.

Put fruit tree spikes under all my apple trees today.....until I ran out. Gotta get another box to finish. Limed them too. I have a cordless drill with a soil auger affair. Really worked slick for boring holes near my trees. I may try to get some other amendments under the apple tree roots this way. I can bore a 2" (or 3") diameter hole to a depth of two feet in just a few seconds......using my cordless drill. Nice!!

I plan to put down 22-7-20-4 (sulfur) bagged fertilizer for my beets. Gonna put about 150 lbs to the acre and till it in. I may add a spike to see how that effects things....maybe those beets will throw an apple? ;)

 

[sandbur]

Mill's fleet has the bigger Jobes on sale. 9 for $3.99. These are the bigger spikes.

Lee found a better price at Ace about a month ago.

 

[sandbur]

Tom-walmart had those bags of the crystals. I might have bought the last one form St. Cloud store.
Is phos not so important for beets, or does your soil have enough phos-like my soils?

 

[Steve Oehlenschlager]

Start with as CLEAN field!!! Clover can be really hard to kill. I planted Beets in a clover field we disked up and planted. The clover kept coming back. By the third spraying we had it gone. Plan on spraying beets 3 times. Anything less will hurt you. Spray the first time before the weeds are more than 1 inch tall. Don't spray the clover with 2,4 D or anything before you plant because that will hurt your beets. I planted my beets last week. I will plant another round on Tuesday.

 

[Steve Oehlenschlager]

Some Beets Mid October. They did not hit them early because of wolf problem and so they started up in late November on them. normally they hit the leaves about Sept 1 and the beet about
Oct 1.

 

[foggy]

Tom-walmart had those bags of the crystals. I might have bought the last one form St. Cloud store.
Is phos not so important for beets, or does your soil have enough phos-like my soils?

My soil tests show I have "high" phos. The blend I mention is one that is commonly used in my area and "fits" with my soil test rec's. The feed store here stocks this blend.

 

[foggy]

Start with as CLEAN field!!! Clover can be really hard to kill. I planted Beets in a clover field we disked up and planted. The clover kept coming back. By the third spraying we had it gone. Plan on spraying beets 3 times. Anything less will hurt you. Spray the first time before the weeds are more than 1 inch tall. Don't spray the clover with 2,4 D or anything before you plant because that will hurt your beets. I planted my beets last week. I will plant another round on Tuesday.

Thanks for the info Steve! What rate do you put on for the round-up? 1 qt to the acre or 2?

Do you feel with the cold ground temps that you will get germination now? I figured to wait a week or so. I think I am a bit north of you tho.

 

[foggy]

BTW......today I decided against that clover field I mentioned earlier. I have another field nearby that is similar in size and it had brasica in it last year. It will be cleaner (more weed free and clover free) and may be a better location. I'll stay on top of the weeds. Now if the weather would just warm up a bit.....and QUIT RAINING already!

 

[Steve Oehlenschlager]

The rule of spraying is 2-2-22...Which means spray before the weeds are 2 inches tall....The sugar beets have 2 leaves and use 22 oz of Roundup per acre. I have planted this early before and think I will be OK. They are slow to germinate. Temps should get above normal after this next weekend. I plant them at my house in Elk River too. They never do as good in the sand. They like heavier soil. However my pond is up this year so once they get going, they only have to go down 24 inches for unlimited water. I am hoping for a bumper crop in my yard. The deer just tore them apart about Oct 1 last fall.