I really wouldn't bother. But then I am of the low effort school of gardening. Others seem to like to faff about and make things as fiddly as possible. Beet seeds are actually a cluster of separate seeds and they are held in a corky shell. This is because the ancestors of beets are seaside plants and the seed is designed to float. Personally, I couldn't be bothered with trying to soak seeds designed to float. If you buy good quality seed and sow at an appropriate time, in an appropriate temperature, in an appropriate place they really should germinate pretty well. We don't know where you are located but is fall the right season for sowing beets in your area?

Like Floral I see no advantage to soaking beet seeds. Germination issues are far more likely to be a result of other issues like improperly stored seeds or overly warm soil or insufficient soil moisture.

But if you do want to pre-soak them then why over-complicate the process with other additives? I call it OCD gardening. ;-)

Some folks swear by peroxide for many things, and yes they are referring to plain old household HP. Usually it is a 10% solution (1:10) in water. I suppose it could have a mild disinfectant effect if that was needed. Iron phos is used to kill things like slugs and snails and earwigs so I'd guess they assume it would keep those from eating the seeds.

So if you want to soak them in water it won't hurt anything (assuming they are not soaked too long) but whether it would actually help is debatable.

Dave

I like to make things as easy as possible. I am in central NC. I planted several variety in the fall and none terminated. They were all new seeds. So maybe it was soil temp or moisture. Online sources say 45 degrees. What soil temp do beets like? Also since its a root crop, what is the best npk fertilizer to use? I am guessing low nitrogen. Online says they are heavy feeders.

If nothing at all appeared it is also possible the seed was removed/eaten by something. Mice sometimes steal seeds on my allotment and ants can move them about. I can't speak as to fall sowing because they are spring and summer sown here. Is it definitely a good time to sow beets in NC?

I live in St. Louis area and in Spring always have a problem w too much rain & my beet seeds just drown under heavy rainy weather. Last year, I soaked my seeds for 20-30minutes in warm water & they came up very well.

I will try that this time. I started a few seeds inside in cell packs. I thought I would plant them in the garden when they are still small. I am not sure it will work, but I thought I would try it. Thank you for the suggestion.

Though I don't soak my beet seed, there are benefits. Using diluted hydrogen peroxide for this purpose is not to suppress disease, but to infuse the seed with oxygen! I use it when rooting stem cuttings and even in my germination flats. I use peroxide very frequently for my container plants, all year round, and absolutely use it to water my many flats of home grown annuals as they grow a healthy root system.

Here is sum total and extent of Wikipedia's t bit.Horticulture
Some horticulturalists and users of hydroponics
advocate the use of weak hydrogen peroxide solution in watering
solutions. Its spontaneous decomposition releases oxygen that enhances a
plant's root development and helps to treat root rot (cellular root death due to lack of oxygen) and a variety of other pests.

You can always do a wet paper towel test on a couple seeds to see their viability. Dampen a tiny 2 inch square piece of paper towel and put a couple sides in and fold in over them. Put it in a ziploc sandwich bag and let it set for a few days. If it sprouts, they are good!

I am in the wrong part of the country maybe.... Beets won't overwinter here. Were you planting for a fall harvest or spring? If I want to plant for a fall harvest here I need to plant in late July or early August. I am only partially successful at putting in a fall garden - I am usually busy weeding, harvesting or just plain ignoring my garden.