Sugar Beet

Sugar beet roots are not a typical beet, being a very large white and tapered root. A hardy grower, cold tolerant and can thrive in sun or partial shade. Surprisingly for a “sweet” veggie, it doesn’t require a lot of water and has a high tolerance for low fertility soil. Enjoyed as a sweet root vegetable, the root or leaves can be consumed raw, grated or sliced into green salads.
Used for Cover Crop
Sugar beets can tolerate a variety of environments, from sandy to tight clay soils. Tops can grow 1-2′ tall and beets are up to 1 foot long and can weigh from 3-5 pounds. Benefits includes reducing soil erosion, increasing organic matter and improving soil structure. This can translate into better drainage, less disease problems and improved yield. Very frost tolerant and grows well in cold temperatures. Seeding rates are from 5-8 lb per acre. Sugar Beets can be planted in early spring or midsummer.
Used for Wildlife Food Plot
Sugar beets are planted in the spring and left to be harvested in the fall. Sugar beets have the highest digestibility of any forage crop. It is best to dig up a few beets for the deer to find, since after a frost the starches will turn to sugars making them increasingly palatable to deer. Deer also love the tops. Roots can be chopped and fed to sheep and cattle. Goats and chickens will eat this crop right out of the ground. A warm season crop that grows slowly and produces a very large sugary taproot. Sugar content is dependent on amount of vegetative growth, but can be as high as 18%. This crop likes a good soil with limited nitrogen to allow adequate root growth. Plant at 5-8 lb. per acre.