Sugar beet

[Arwel]

hulloo, I really want to grow some sugarbeet and make my own sugar next year. The process of extracting the sugar (at least the process i'm gonna use) is simple enough, but I can't find any seeds on the interweb. that's not entirely true, I could by half a ton of gm frankenseeds that are about as natural as Jordan, but i really don't dig artificial s**t (in any form! ). Does anybody know where I can get a reasonable amount of naturalish seed, say a handfull? Any help would be appreciated

[oldjerry]

Someone help me out here,the memory has gone,and and I never keep old catalogues,the company he needs are in devon they sell to gardeners and they have another catalogue for farmers,(and you can get trial size packets).They've been around for yonks,someone must know who I'm on about.Arwel tommorrow ,if no one comes up with the name I'll ransack the shed. OJ

[fifi folle]

Are you thinking about Kings Seeds/Suffolk Herbs?

[oldjerry]

Yes you got it thanks, Kings seeds, I used to buy field beans and Lucerne from them to feed the goats.Nice people as I remember.Thanks FF.

[Arwel]

Cheers for the help, boys. I checked out the site but couldn't find any sugarbeet. Which leads me to believe that perhaps i'm missing something...Is there a more common name for sugarbeet? There are beetroot seeds available, but surely they aren't the same? thanks again

[oldjerry]

Arwel , I haven't used them for 3 years,give me a day or two and I'll have a word with a couple of the farmers round here.I'll pm you in a couple of days,no promises,but lets have a go. OJ

[Ellendra]

Where are you?

Here in the states there are several companies that sell sugarbeet seeds in small packets.

Sugarbeets are sometimes called mangels, too.

[oldjerry]

In the UK sugar beet and Mangels are 2 different things,(mangels are not hardy everywhere but are fantastic livestock feed).

[grahamhobbs]

Did you think of lifting a sugarbeet from a field, transplanting it and letting it go to seed?

[MKG]

Sugar beet was all over the place a couple of years ago - then the EU lifted the beet subsidy. I haven't seen any around here since then - maybe that's the problem. If farmers find it unprofitable to grow, who's going to stock the seed? - and it isn't a normal veggie garden crop.

Best of luck, though.

Mike

[oldjerry]

You're right Mike,there was pressure from people who thought the subsidy was unfair to 3rd world growers of sugar cane,rightly or wrongly a good few salopians lost their job when Harlscott sugar plant closed a couple of years ago.Anyhow now it comes from the other side of the world.50 years ago we got 2/6d for hoeing a row about 200yds long,I bunked off school to earn from about the age of 8,now they arrest the Romanians for doing the same.A few farmers still grow it.and I'm still trying to source some seed.

[oldjerry]

Well I've asked about,and the news ain't good.It seems that when it was grown round here(last time about 2 years ago)it was all on contract to the sugar company,and they supplied the seed.I'v e asked a couple if they had any left lying around without any luck.sorry, looks like you may have to keep bees! something I've always wanted to try.

[Green Aura]

I can't believe no-one round Boston grows beet any more - it was beet central for decades, wasn't it?

[Millymollymandy]

Tall polytunnel and try sugar cane?

[oldjerry]

I can't believe no-one round Boston grows beet any more - it was beet central for decades, wasn't it?

Nope,beetcentral was Shropshire! It's all down to them stopping the subsidy=close the beet factory==not worth growing anymore=cant get the flamin' seed!