6Popes1Booner
Member
I've planted pretty much everything so far except sugar beets. What do you guys think is this a must have? Would they handle browsing and be attractive this fall? Thoughts?
Sugar beets?
- Thread starter 6Popes1Booner
- Start date
-
- Tags
- None
loneranger
Well-Known Member
On a large scale, with big equipment maybe? Read Dbltrees experiences with them. They are a little fussey and require a lot of fert.
I personally don't think you'll have much different results than Purple Top Turnips & Radishes. Both of which can be planted in late July, early August. Which is a blessing for a lot of reasons, one of which is controlling weeds all season long....
Sugarbeets are "earlier planted", not a late summer planting. It's a longer maturity plant, planted much earlier.... More weeds to fend off, more time for damage from critters, etc. If you got the time, space & desire, I'd go for em. If you're thinking through your time & resource allocation, I'd skip em. That's just me. But, I have a crap ton I have to deal with, balance, farm, etc. Sure can't hurt if you wanna try. I'd personally try and get some Agricultural Sugar Beets which are Round-up ready. Fertility will likely be similar to turnips & radish.... Lots of N and you are also going to want to have good P&K rates and right range of PH but they are N eaters like other brassicas. Yep - read Dbltree's posts.
Sugarbeets are "earlier planted", not a late summer planting. It's a longer maturity plant, planted much earlier.... More weeds to fend off, more time for damage from critters, etc. If you got the time, space & desire, I'd go for em. If you're thinking through your time & resource allocation, I'd skip em. That's just me. But, I have a crap ton I have to deal with, balance, farm, etc. Sure can't hurt if you wanna try. I'd personally try and get some Agricultural Sugar Beets which are Round-up ready. Fertility will likely be similar to turnips & radish.... Lots of N and you are also going to want to have good P&K rates and right range of PH but they are N eaters like other brassicas. Yep - read Dbltree's posts.
hoosierhunter
Active Member
I've found my deer typically need 3 years of a specific type of food before they really utilize it the way I want. I've seen so many guys try something one of two years and then scrap it. Whatever you pick just stick with it. I personally believe nothing beats clover for an all around food source. I have 9 clover , 6 brassicas and 3 standing crop plots.
soil
Active Member
I was the guy who tried turnips one year, deer didn't touch them, radishes the following year, barely got touched. I had a guy give me this same advice and i went back to turnips for the following two years and now the turnip plots see more action than the clover on our place.
hoosierhunter
Active Member
It would be nice if deer loved cherry tomatoes- cucumbers and red bell peppers. That way I can have a nice snack in and out of the stand and I know I can grow that stuff really well
Hey just take a salt shaker and pocket knife for a long day sit over turnips!
