How to Grow Beets Indoors

Beets are an easy and useful plant to grow indoors. They are nutritious, and you can eat both plant and root. . Their color livens up both the room they are in and the plate they are served on. They come in bright red, which is most common, or golden yellow. The seeds can be handled with ease, and, placed in soil which is rich and moist, they will grow quickly and easily, resisting disease and pests.

Step 1: Setting up the Container

First of all you want to get the container ready. Do this by drilling holes in them, if none are already present. Place something underneath the container to catch water which seeps through the holes. This could be a plastic sheet, or the lid of the container you are using. The container should be at least 17 inches deep.

Add the soil to the container. The soil should be fertile and sandy, and have a neutral pH level. Add soil to a depth of 16 inches in the containers, as beets require this much soil to grow properly.

Step 2: Planting the Beets

Beets do not grow well when 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. Each beet 'seed' is essentially a fruit containing three or four actual seeds inside it, so you want to give each seed that you plant enough space so they have room to grow.

You normally want to place the seeds 1/4 inch deep in the soil and roughly 1 foot apart from each other. You should also consult the package to see if they have any other recommendations for the depth and distance at which the seeds should be placed.

Step 3: Growing the Beets

Place the container near a window or in any other place where the seeds will get plenty of sunlight. Beets grow best at lower temperatures, and the seeds will normally germinate in 17 days if the soil is at 50 F. 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 in 1/4 inch 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 containers if the source of sunlight is small, like a window, to ensure every plant gets a uniform amount of sunlight and grow straight upwards. Rotate the containers a quarter turn every few days.

Step 4: Harvesting the Beets

Beets can grow to baseball size, but for best taste, you want to harvest them when they are at golf ball size. You should also consult the package to see what the time to maturity is for the specific crop. When they are ready, twist off the foliage but leave the taproot as is.