How to Harvest Beet Seeds

Dig a few beets at the end of the growing season, being careful to not damage them. Dig as many as you want to plant for seed the following spring. Usually one or two will give you plenty of seed, but it is better to have at least three just in case some don't regrow. Overwinter the beets by burying them in a moist sand pile or in a container of moist sand in a protected area of your yard.

Dig the beets out of the sand early in the spring. Plant them as soon as the soil is thawed enough to work.

Place the beets in a uncrowded area of your garden, spacing them 4 inches apart. Do not plant them any deeper than they were growing the previous year.

Water the soil to keep the ground moist. Throughout the growing season keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. The beets will send up flower stalks in the summer with small flowers on them. When the flowers fade away, the seed heads are left.

Pick the seed heads when they are dry and brown. This usually happens in September.

Place the seed heads into a tray and line another tray with a sheet of white paper.

Grasp the seed head in your fingers and open it. Hold it over the paper-lined tray so when the seeds spill, they fall into the tray.

Separate the debris from the seeds. Toss the debris in the trash or your compost pile.

Pour the beet seeds into an envelope or a vial. Store the seeds in a cool, dry room and they will be ready to plant next season.