Fodder roots and pumpkins, step by step
Interactive lesson: growing fodder beet, carrots, stubble turnips, kale and pumpkins, storing them in a clamp and feeding stock safely in winter.
Free sample Chapters 1 and 2 (9 steps) are free. The full lesson comes with the Fodder roots and pumpkins module. Already bought? Unlock
This lesson is general guidance, not professional training. Local regulations and expert advice always take precedence. Read our disclaimer.
The whole lesson as text
1. Why roots and pumpkins
Succulent feed doesn't replace hay, but alongside hay it gives a lot.
- Succulent feed with hay — Beet and pumpkins are 85–90 % water. With hay the animal eats more and drinks better, and 100–300 m² by the house gives tonnes of feed.
- Fodder beet first — Beet is the safest and highest-yielding succulent feed for a temperate climate. It keeps in a clamp or cellar until April.
- Carrots, kale, pumpkins — Carrots are best for horses, rabbits and young animals. Kale is picked until snow, and pumpkins keep 2–4 months in a dry place.
- Jerusalem artichokes at the edge — Jerusalem artichokes stay in the ground over winter and pigs dig them up themselves. They're very persistent, so plant them at the edge of the holding, not in the garden.
Why: Roots and pumpkins have lots of water, sugar and energy, and little fibre and protein. Alongside hay they raise milk yield in winter, replace some of the grain and provide vitamins when there's no grass. A small plot by the house gives tonnes of feed.
- Yield figures are rough and depend on soil, water and feeding.
- In the first year sow less and write down the real yield.
2. Fodder beet
Beet likes deep, fertile soil and manure.
- Soil in autumn — Cultivate the field deeply in autumn and work in 2–3 kg/m² of rotted manure.
- Sow in April — Sow when the soil has warmed to 6–8 °C, 2–3 cm deep, in rows 45–50 cm (18–20 in) apart.
- Single and hoe — When the plants have 4–6 leaves, leave one plant every 20–25 cm. Hoe 2–3 times until the rows close in July.
- Lift in October — Lift the beet by hand or with a fork on a dry day, before frosts harder than -2 °C (28 °F). Knock off the soil.
- Cut the leaves carefully — Cut the leaves off 2–3 cm above the crown, not into it, so it doesn't rot. Don't wash beet before storing. Feed fresh tops wilted and in small amounts.
Why: Beet tolerates slightly acid to neutral soil, pH 6–7.5. For one cow alongside hay allow roughly 1.5–2 tonnes of beet for winter, which is 250–350 m². For 4–6 goats 100 m² is enough.
- For lifting by hand choose varieties that hold most of the root above ground, like the old mangels.
- Keep damaged and gnawed roots for feeding first.
3. Carrots, stubble turnips and kale · Locked
Buy the Fodder roots and pumpkins module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 26 steps.
4. Pumpkins and squash · Locked
Buy the Fodder roots and pumpkins module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 26 steps.
5. A beet clamp · Locked
Buy the Fodder roots and pumpkins module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 26 steps.
6. Feeding safely · Locked
Buy the Fodder roots and pumpkins module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 26 steps.