PREPARATION

Start with a clean, weed-free planting area by spraying or tilling existing vegetation. Prepare a firm, smooth seedbed with excellent seed-to-soil contact. Loose, cloddy ground can produce inconsistent planting depth and establishment.

SOIL TEST & FERTILITY

Conduct a soil test whenever possible and adjust soil pH to approximately 6.0–7.0. Apply fertilizer according to soil-test recommendations. Sugar beets require adequate fertility to maximize both leafy forage and root development.

For the Backwoods program, Fuel™ Brassicas + Clover is the logical fertilizer pairing.

PLANTING RATE

Broadcast (Prepared Seedbed): 10 lbs/acre
Broadcast (No-Till): 12-13 lbs/acre
Drill: 5 lbs/acre

When Used In Blends: Reduce the rate according to companion species and desired sugar beet population.

PLANTING DEPTH

Plant approximately ¼–½ inch deep. When broadcasting, spread evenly over a firm seedbed and lightly cultipack or roll afterward. Avoid burying seed too deeply.

TIMING

For maximum root development, target approximately 75–120 days before your area's average first hard freeze. Sugar beets generally require more growing time than turnips and other fast-growing fall brassicas.

Earlier planting must still be balanced against extreme summer heat and moisture availability. In warmer regions, dependable soil moisture or rainfall can be just as important as the calendar.

MOISTURE

Plant into adequate soil moisture or immediately ahead of dependable rainfall. Consistent moisture during germination and early establishment is critical, particularly when Sweet Tooth™ is planted during warmer late-summer conditions.

PLANT POPULATION

Avoid excessive seeding rates. Sugar beets need adequate space, nutrients, sunlight, and moisture to maximize individual plant and root development. More plants per acre do not automatically equal more usable forage.

BLENDING & OVERSEEDING

Sweet Tooth™ can be incorporated into custom blends with cereal grains, clovers, turnips, radishes, rape, and other compatible cool-season species.

When adding Sweet Tooth™ to another blend, reduce the standalone rate to avoid excessive competition. Because maximum beet-root development requires adequate growing space and seed-to-soil contact, planting into a prepared seedbed will generally provide more consistent results than simply broadcasting into a dense existing canopy.

ADJUSTING FOR PLS & GERMINATION

Recommended planting rates assume 100% Pure Live Seed (PLS) and 100% germination. Actual seed quality varies by lot. To determine an adjusted planting rate, divide the recommended seeding rate by the PLS percentage multiplied by the germination percentage, both expressed as decimals. Adjusting for PLS and germination ensures proper stand density and maximum forage production.

Straight Shot™ Sweet Tooth™ is a single-species sugar beet seed designed for hunters who want to plant a dedicated sugar beet plot, add root-crop diversity to an existing food plot, or build their own custom fall blend.

Sugar beets provide two potential food sources from one plant—abundant leafy forage above ground and a large, carbohydrate-storing root below. They can provide substantial forage production and valuable fall and late-season attraction when given adequate time to mature.

Sweet Tooth™ is an annual cool-season root crop. Plants establish, produce leafy vegetation, develop their characteristic roots, and complete their life cycle within a growing season.

Sugar beets need more growing time than many common fall food plot species. For maximum top and root development, target approximately 90–120 days before your area's average first hard freeze, while also
considering summer heat and available moisture.

Sugar beets generally require a longer growing period to develop substantial roots. Turnips can produce meaningful forage and bulbs relatively quickly, while Sweet Tooth™ benefits from additional growing days to
reach its full potential.

Plant approximately ¼–½ inch deep. Avoid burying the seed
too deeply. When broadcasting, spread evenly over a firm seedbed and lightly
cultipack or roll afterward for good seed-to-soil contact.

Yes. Sweet Tooth™ can be planted as a standalone sugar beet plot when maximum beet production is the goal. It can also be incorporated into custom cool-season blends.

Yes, but sugar beets perform best when they have adequate growing space and good seed-to-soil contact. They can be added to compatible plots, but simply broadcasting them into a dense established canopy is less reliable than planting into exposed soil.

Sweet Tooth™ can be combined with turnips, radishes, rape, mustards, cereal grains, and clovers. Reduce individual species rates when creating a blend to prevent overcrowding and excessive competition.

Yes, provided enough exposed soil is available for establishment. However, if maximum root development is the goal, planting Sweet Tooth™ during initial plot establishment generally gives the plants more growing time and less competition.

Potentially both. Deer can browse the leafy tops throughout the growing season and may also utilize exposed or accessible beet roots as plants mature. Actual utilization varies considerably by property, deer
density, competing food sources, and previous exposure to the crop.

No. Deer can utilize sugar beet foliage before frost. Cooler temperatures can influence plant carbohydrate dynamics and palatability, but frost is not required before deer can begin browsing the plants.

No. Although both produce leafy tops and enlarged underground structures, sugar beets and turnips are different crops with
different growth characteristics. Sugar beets generally require a longer growing period and can develop substantial carbohydrate-rich roots, while forage turnips establish and mature more quickly.

With favorable temperatures, moisture, fertility, and seed-to-soil contact, seedlings can emerge relatively quickly. Leaf development follows during the first several weeks, but substantial root development takes considerably longer, which is why Sweet Tooth™ should be planted earlier than
many traditional fall brassicas.

Yes. Sugar beets can be demanding forage producers and require adequate fertility to maximize both top and root development. Conduct a soil test whenever possible and fertilize accordingly. Backwoods Fuel™
Brassicas + Clover is the recommended Backwoods fertilizer pairing.

For food plot purposes, target approximately 6.0–7.0 pH. Proper soil pH improves nutrient availability and helps support vigorous plant
and root development.

Absolutely. Sugar beets need room to develop. Excessive plant populations create competition for sunlight, moisture, nutrients, and root space, potentially resulting in smaller plants and reduced root
development. More seed does not automatically mean more forage.

Young sugar beet foliage can be vulnerable to heavy deer browsing. On properties with high deer densities, plants may be browsed before reaching their full potential. Increasing planted acreage or incorporating complementary forage species can help distribute pressure.

They're less forgiving than some common food plot species. Good seedbed preparation, shallow planting, adequate fertility, proper pH, moisture, weed control, and sufficient growing time all matter. Hunters willing to put in the preparation can be rewarded with a unique, high-volume forage crop.

Crop rotation is the better long-term strategy. Rotating sugar beets and other related crops with cereal grains, legumes, or different forage families can help manage disease, pest pressure, and soil fertility over
time.

Sweet Tooth™ Sugar Beets require a longer growing period and are designed to produce abundant tops along with substantial
carbohydrate-storing roots. Bucknip™ Forage Turnips establish and mature
faster, making them a better choice when the available fall growing window is
shorter.

Sweet Tooth™ Sugar Beets gives you one individual root-crop species and complete control over how much goes into your plot. Brassicas + Bulbs™ combines multiple complementary brassicas and root crops into a complete pre-designed blend.

Straight Shot™ gives hunters individual food plot species in practical food-plot quantities. Use Sweet Tooth™ to plant a targeted sugar
beet plot, add roots to an existing planting, or build your own custom blend—without purchasing and storing a large agricultural bag.