How To Start Beet Indoors

B(caps)eets are an easy and useful plant to grow indoors. They are generally easy to grow and are consistently ranked as one of the top 10 vegetables grown in home gardens. Beets are a cool season vegetable crop. This root veggie grows quickly and has many different varieties, which showcase deep red, yellow, or white bulbs of different shapes. They are nutritious, and you can eat both plant and root. They come in bright red, which is most common, or golden yellow. Beets can survive frost and almost freezing temperatures, which makes them a great choice for northern gardeners and an excellent long-season crop. If you grow varieties for winter storage, it is possible to have beets almost all year round.

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Beets should be planted from seed, directly into the garden and sowing seeds indoors for later transplanting is of course, more time-consuming than direct sowing, so why do we bring extra work on ourselves! It's simply more effective that sowing outdoors. A seed sown in the soil outside in the garden has a lot to contend with in that difficult first weeks of its life and must resist among many things such frost, rain, wind, weeds, slugs, snails and birds. By sowing indoors you are giving the seedling a chance to get itself established and sturdy before it has to deal with these threats. As a result, you’re more likely to have strong seedlings ready to be transplanted in your garden. Starting beets indoors enables you to control their growing environment, these cool-season vegetables can be grown all year long. But giving them a good start is essential to your success!

This is my technique for starting beet indoors, its simple, easy and rewarding.

There are different varieties of beets and each has its unique properties. Most of them are grown for its beet which comes in a variety of size, shape, and color. Choosing varieties that work best for your growing conditions and take advantage of your environment will ultimately decide the outcome of your growing experience. 

From here you can find many beets varieties to choose from and start with good organic seeds.

After having your beet seeds packet always check the individual details on it, the information on the back of a seed packet will tell you the vast majority of information that you need to know about growing your vegetable.

Beet Seeds:

Beet seeds are multigerm seeds. Multigerm seeds occur when flowers grow in clusters, fused together by the petals (such as the flowers on a beet plant), which then produce multigerm seed balls.

When the seed balls germinate, they may have two to five seedlings sprout all at once. This explains why, even though you may be diligent about spacing your beet seeds properly, you still end up with tight clusters of beets.

Sowing Beet Seeds:

Starting the seeds in pots then transplanting the resulting seedlings outdoors will help you manage your garden layout better. The transplants will be sturdy plants that can withstand pests and cool, early-spring temperature fluctuations. Unlike most root crops, beets transplant well when grown and planted properly. Start the beets by seed indoors about three to four weeks before you want to transplant so the seedlings don't grow too large.

1: Soak the beet seeds in water overnight to soften their shells and speed up the germinating process.
2: Select a plastic pot  that's approximately 2 to 3 inches deep to allow enough space for the seedlings to develop .
3: Fill the pot with seed compost and press down on the compost to create a firm surface.
4: Sprinkle the seeds over the compost surface, approximately 1 inch apart. Cover them with a 1/2-inch layer of moist compost. Lightly press on the compost to firm the surface.
5: Position the pot in a warm area of the house. Aim for a temperature between 75 and 90 degrees F.
6: Water the soil as needed to keep it evenly moist.
One common mistake is to sow a large number of beetroot seeds all at the same time. Try to avoid this, rather sow a small number of seeds every two weeks. 
7: The seeds should germinate in 5 to 8 days at an optimal temperature of 77°F (25°C) 

Plenty of water is necessary for the seeds to germinate. Water the plant on daily basis to sprout. The best temperature to sprout the seeds is 50 F. Water daily until the leaves begin to sprout. At the beginning, beet seeds need plenty of water to start the germination process. The roots will take moisture from the soil once they're established.

Beets grow best in conditions of uniform moisture. You normally don't need to water them unless the soil in which they reside has become dry. You can check this by pushing your finger into the soil to see if it is dry. Maintain a regular watering schedule however, otherwise you will end up with dry and cracked roots. You normally need no more than 1 inch of water a week. Keep rotating the pot if the source of sunlight is small, like a window, to ensure every plant gets a uniform amount of sunlight and grow straight upwards. Your beet seedlings should be ready to plant out in about 4 weeks.

Transplanting Beets Seedlings In The Garden:

Before transplanting, it's important to harden off the seedlings. Begin by placing the pot in a shady area for two to three hours per day for about a week. For the second week, increase the time outdoors by an hour or so every day as you gradually move the seedlings into brighter light. At the end of the second week, the beet seedlings are ready for their permanent place in the garden.

Beets are one of the few root crops that can be grown from transplants providing the seedlings are planted out before they become constricted. Late winter is the best time for transplanting beets outdoors in areas with mild, generally frost-free temperatures. Beets are ready to plant outside when they get their second set of leaves, which is their first pair of true leaves. Waiting too long to transplant results in larger, more easily damaged roots and increases the chances of transplant shock, which can stunt or stop plants' growth.

Beets do not grow well if crowded. If they are too crowded, there is a chance that they will grow mis-shapen. You want to ensure that you give them enough space so that they grow properly. Beets grow well in loose, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Work the soil where you will plant the beets deeper and wider than necessary.  This will loosen the soil so the tender beetroots can easily push there way through.  Beds that receive full sunlight result the best beet growth. Select a suitable space for growing, it's a good idea to use a general granular fertilizer a few weeks before sowing and rake it into the soil to let the nutrients absorb. Beets likes neutral, moist, fertile soil without too much lime.

The soil should be soft and not have too much clay or too much sand however, since the root develops at the surface, a clay soil can be tolerated if the top has been loosened by the addition of lots of well-rotted organic matter such chicken manure {don't add this unless the soil has much clay}. Remember that applying too much nitrogen can cause lots of leafy growth and little root development. If you notice large leaves and smaller roots, reduce fertilizer applications!

Amend the bed with a 2- to 3-inch-deep layer of compost worked into the top 6 inches of soil. The compost provides most of the nutrients beets need to begin growing after they are transplanted. Beets don't require a nitrogen fertilizer at planting because too much nitrogen results in lush leaf growth but small roots. 

Transplanting beets seedlings on a cloudy day or in evening minimizes the possibility of transplant shock in the plants. Lift beets from the plastic pot immediately before transplanting, and handle the seedlings carefully to avoid disturbing their roots.

Make a hole with your finger in the soil the approximate size of the seedling 'plug'. 

Plant the seedlings in that hole by taking care not disturbing the roots.

The beets should be planted in that hole at the same soil depth as the soil depth at which they grew in their pots or cells.

You have to push the soil in around the roots firmly with your fingers to get good contact with the soil. Don't firm down on the top of the soil as this can compact it and prevent moisture getting down to the plants roots. 

Space the beet plants 4 to 6 inches apart in a row. After planting, water well the soil so it settles around the plants' roots and do not soak them.

Transplanting Beet Seedlings In Container:

Beet is an excellent crop for growing in containers because the light soil is ideal for them and ensures perfectly formed roots. All the procedures for transplanting seedlings and general care are exactly the same as when transplanting in the garden but with a few exceptions.

1: Choose a container which is at least 45cm / 18in wide and make sure it has drainage holes in the bottom.

2: Place a few stones in the base of the container and fill with standard multi-purpose compost.

3: transplant beet seedlings as described above.

4: Place the container in a sunny position throughout the growing season.

Just remember that beets in containers need more watering than normal because the container will not retain moisture as well as open soil does. A fortnightly feed with liquid organic fertiliser will also be needed to supply them with a good source of nutrients.

Your container grown beets are easy to care for if provided with water, aerated conditions and great drainage.

Beets care:

While beet seedlings are still being established, weeds compete with them for water, nutrients and light so it's a good idea to keep the area around your plants weed free. I recommend simply doing this by hand, and completely pulling out any weeds that may show up. Once the beet plants have become established, however, weeds will not be a particularly difficult problem. Fungal disease can be a problem for some crops and weeds can contribute to this by cutting down the air circulation around your plants. Plants with good, clear space between them will be much healthier than congested crops. A simple defense against pests is to plant marigolds around the garden. Marigold roots release a chemical that kills nematodes. The best off all that Once they are established in the soil, beets will generally take care of themselves, provided the soil has the right pH and good nutrient content.

Your Beet will definitely appreciate a thorough watering if the conditions become dry. This will encourage them to grow quickly and the roots will be more tender and tasty.

Beets are delicious both for their tasty roots as well as for their nutrient packed leafy greens. Beet leaves are edible and excellent for bringing colour to a salad. The tastiest leaves are the young ones, leaves from fully grown beetroot can taste slightly bitter.

Harvesting Beets:

Harvest beets when the root is slightly larger than a golf ball, just grip the foliage as near to the beet root as possible and gently tease it from the soil. Harvesting is easiest when the soil is slightly damp.

That was my guide on how to start and transplant beets! I hope you found it informative and enjoyable to read. Now you should have all the tools you need for how to start and transplant beets successfully.

Beet seeds are available from Here!

If you have any tips for growing beets, we'd love to hear them - please share them in the comments below.

Want to read more:

 ➡️🌐  Know The Health Benefits of Beetroot Leaves

Happy Organic gardening!

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