Properties of Beet Seeds

Appearance

Beet seeds are small and knobby. They are light to dark brown when dried, and their surfaces are horned and bumpy. Rotten beet seeds will have a squishy texture and may be green or discolored, while healthy seeds that can be planted should feel hard and have a dark brown appearance.

When beet seeds grow in nature, they fall from the leaves of the parent plant and land nearby. As a result, beet plants do not need a large amount of space to grow and cannot burst through the soil if buried very deeply. Beet seeds grow best when planted about ½ inch beneath the soil, 2 inches away from the next plant, in temperatures between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant the seeds several weeks before the final late-winter freeze. Beet seeds usually sprout in the early spring.

Due to their density, beet seeds often take several weeks to germinate and sprout underground. In order to increase their chances of sprouting, soak seeds for 24 hours in cool water before planting. In this way you can speed up the natural growing process, as the beet seeds absorb moisture from the soil.

The best way for beginning gardeners to procure beet seeds is to purchase them from a garden store or an online supplier. You can harvest your own beet seeds from a crop of adult beets by removing them from among the leaves, but you need a large beet crop to obtain enough seed clusters to plant several new rows. Do not attempt to separate seeds on your own, as you may damage them. If you are planting seeds from an existing crop, merely replant the clusters.