Grow and Save Beet Seeds: A Slightly Sassy, Incredibly Useful Guide
Ah, beets. Love them or hate them, you can’t deny they’re versatile, resilient, and, let’s be honest, a bit of a show-off in the garden with that deep red (or golden!) hue. If you’re ready to grow and save your own beet seeds, buckle up—because these little root veggies have a biennial twist up their leafy sleeves. Let’s dig in (literally).
How to Grow Beets
The Basics Beets (Beta vulgaris) are like the cool, laid-back cousin of Swiss chard—because they’re actually the same species. That means if you want to grow both for seed, you’ll need to keep them socially distanced. Beets are easy to grow, delicious, and the whole plant—roots and leaves—can make their way onto your plate.
When to Plant Plant as soon as your soil is workable in early spring. If you want a steady beet parade, keep planting every couple of weeks until midsummer. But don’t get carried away—nobody wants to drown in beets (or maybe you do, in which case, respect).
Spacing Matters Give each seed a cozy little spot ¾ inch deep and about an inch apart in rows 12-18 inches away from each other. Personal space is important—even for beets.
Time to Germination Beet seeds usually take 5-8 days to pop up. Be patient. They’re worth the wait.
Special Considerations If you’re growing beets for seeds, things get a bit more dramatic in year two. You’ll need to give them extra room and even consider staking them—because once they go to seed, they get top-heavy like a diva in heels.
Common Pests and Issues Good news: Beets aren’t a pest magnet. Bad news: They can attract black bean aphids, suffer from boron deficiency (not enough boron = sad, cracked beets), and become a snack for birds and slugs. Watch out.
Harvesting Beets for Eating
When to Harvest Beets are ready to roll in 60-90 days. Aim to pull them when they’re about golf ball-sized—because nobody likes a woody, overgrown beet. Just grab them by the base of the stem and give a gentle tug. Victory!
How to Eat Them Roast them, pickle them, throw them in a salad, or turn them into a questionable but healthy smoothie. Feeling adventurous? Try “Roasted Beets with Mint Yogurt.” It’s fancy and tastes like effort (even if it’s easy).
Storing Beets Beets chill happily in the fridge for weeks. Just keep them dry and unpeeled until you’re ready to use them.
How to Save Beet Seeds
Life Cycle Lesson Beets are biennials, meaning they take two years to go from adorable seed to full-on seed-producing plant. They need a cold period (vernalization) to trigger the flowering process.
Isolation Distance (a.k.a. Keep ‘Em Separated) Beets are shameless cross-pollinators, so if you want pure seeds, plant different varieties at least 800 feet apart—or, to be super safe, a half-mile. If you’ve got nosy neighbors with beets, this might be a problem.
Population Size For strong, healthy seeds, save from at least five plants. If you’re in it for the long haul and want to maintain variety vigor, aim for 20-50 plants. Hardcore seed savers keeping rare varieties should go big—80 plants or more.
Vernalization: The Winter Drama Beets need a cold snap below 40°F for at least 10 weeks to flip the reproductive switch. If your garden stays above 15°F in winter, you can leave them in the ground under some mulch or row cover. If your winters are harsher, dig them up before the first hard frost, brush off the dirt (no washing!), trim the leaves, and store them in a ventilated container lined with sand or wood shavings at around 35°F.
Replanting for Seeds In spring, once your soil is workable, replant your overwintered beets with generous spacing—18 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart. Their future seed stalks will be large and dramatic, so give them some breathing room. Staking helps keep things upright when they get top-heavy.
Harvesting Beet Seeds
Knowing When They’re Ready Beet seeds ripen from the bottom up, turning from green to tan-brown. When about two-thirds of the seeds are mature, it’s go time.
How to Harvest Seed collection can be a bit of a juggling act since there will always be a mix of ripe and unripe seeds. You can cut individual seed stalks or pull up entire plants and let them continue drying elsewhere. Drying typically takes 7-14 days.
Cleaning and Storing Beet Seeds
Processing the Seeds Small batches? Just run a gloved hand down the seed stalk over a container to collect them. Bigger batches? Lay stalks on a tarp and stomp away (gently). After that, screen and winnow to remove debris.
Storage and Viability Keep seeds cool and dry, and they’ll stay viable for up to five years. Just don’t store them in a humid spot, or they’ll betray you with mold and sadness.
Final Thoughts
Beets may seem like a simple garden crop, but when you get into the world of seed saving, they demand a little extra effort. Whether you’re growing them to eat, store, or pass down heirloom varieties, a little planning goes a long way. So plant, grow, harvest, and maybe—just maybe—learn to love the beet.