Sugar Beet Seeds
LATIN NAME
Brassica vulgaris
SEASON
Annual
HEIGHT
12 - 24 inches
WHEN TO PLANT
Early to mid Spring
MOISTURE REQUIREMENTS
Medium
CROP HEIGHT
COLD TOLERANCE
High
HEAT TOLERANCE
Moderate
SHADE TOLERANCE
Poor
DAYS TO MATURITY
90 - 120
IDEAL FOR
Cover Crop, Deer Forage
About...
Sugar Beets (Brassica vulgaris) - Not only do the roots of sugar beets supply a good shard of the U.S. table sugar, but they also make great annual deer food plots. Deer relish both the foliage and the large, sugar laden root. Sugar beets can be a very useful cover crop, especially on salty soils where few other plants succeed.MORE COVER CROP OPTIONS
Planting Directions
SOWING TEMPERATURE
40F +
SEEDING RATE
10 - 15 lbs/acre
AVERAGE GERMINATION TIME
5 - 12 days
PLANTING DEPTH
1/4 - 1/2 inch
SOWING METHOD
Broadcast or drill
ENVIRONMENT
Full sun
USDA ZONES
3 - 9
Sugar Beets (Brassica vulgaris) - Not only do the roots of sugar beets supply a good shard of the U.S. table sugar, but they also make great annual deer food plots. Deer relish both the foliage and the large, sugar laden root. Sugar beets can be a very useful cover crop, especially on salty soils where few other plants succeed. Sugar beets can be finicky to establish, requiring very good seed to soil contact to germinate. This can be accomplished with good planting eqipment, such as seed firmers, on the planter or drill. Pure stand seeding rate is 10 - 15 lbs per acre, and seeding depth is 1/4 - 1/2 inch. Planting date for cover crop or deer forage can range from late spring through August, with earlier plantings giving higher yields. Mature plant heights range from 1 to 2 feet and grow best in full sun.
Sugar beets are increasingly used as a late summer planted, winter killed cover crop to manage soil compaction, help to suppress weeds, and fixate nitrogen. Their deep taproots penetrate hard or clay compacted soils making them ideal for aerating and improving soil structure before planting new crops. They provide high-quality forage for livestock and wildlife and thrive when planted in late summer, with a minimum germination temp of 40F for planting and a cold kill temp around 25F.
Common Questions
Are Sugar Beets Used To Make Table Sugar?
Not only do the roots of sugar beets supply a good shard of the U.S. table sugar, but they also make great annual deer food plots. Deer relish both the foliage and the large, sugar laden root.
Are Sugar Beets Used For Cover Crops?
Sugar beets can be a very useful cover crop, especially on salty soils where few other plants succeed. Sugar beets can be finicky to establish, requiring very good seed to soil contact to germinate. Sugar beets help suppress weeds & fixate nitrogen.
Do Sugar Beets Have Taproots?
Their deep taproots penetrate hard or clay compacted soils making them ideal for aerating and improving soil structure before planting new crops.
Are Sugar Beets Used For Food Plots?
Yes, sugar beets are widely used and highly effective in food plots, particularly for attracting and feeding white-tailed deer during the late fall and winter. Deer eat the leafy green tops during early Fall and dig up the taproot bulbs later.
What Is The Seeding Rate & Planting Time?
Seed at 10 - 15 lbs per acre at a depth of 1/4 - 1/2 inch deep. Plat sugar beets in the spring as soon as the soil temperature reaches 50F.
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