Growing a plant from seed is not only a more cost effective way to obtain plants, it also gives each and every gardener the challenge of turning a seed into a plant and the satisfaction of seeing their very own plant grow from day one.

Requirements for starting seeds

Soil
Large seeds usually do a good when germinating them in garden soil, but seeds sown in flats or containers need light as well as loose soil that does not host fungi that will cause the seedlings to rot.

To prevent this sort of problem, use a sterile,soil-less potting mixture.Peat-based mixes designed specifically for starting seeds or a mixture of vermiculite,perlite and milled sphanum moss works well.
Any container that drains easily and holds 2-3 inches of growing medium will work well for growing seedlings.Styrofoam cups with drainage holes punched in the bottom,pots,reusable plastic flats and peat pots all work great.

Moisture

Moisten the medium throughly before sowing your seed.The depth of the seedling should be three.
After the seed has been planted it should be kept in a warm place and kept watered on a regular basis until the second set of leaves form.If the seed is kept outside, simply keep it watered on a regular basis to make sure that seed is damp enough to sprout.
I find that the majority of seeds that are planted outside never take due to the insufficient amount of water given to them. A seed needs more water outside especially if sowed directly into the ground.

My trick for starting seeds, preferably bigger seeds or middle size, never small because they are much to hard to work with, is to dry 2 tea bags out,once dried dampen the tea bags and place seeds on one teabag and cover with the second.Set in high humidity area and do not over water. Within a few days your seeds should begin to split and/or sprout.I do not recommend this method for everyone,however; it does work well for me.

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