Pre-Germination Care

Keep planting medium moist but not soggy. Use a plant mister to gently spritz the soil when the surface just begins to dry. This is especially helpful for tiny seeds such as broccoli, since they need constant, even moisture during germination.

Another option is to water the containers from below until the surface is moist. Place pots in a waterproof tray, and fill the tray about a half inch deep with lukewarm water. Let the containers sit in the water just until the soil surface is moist, then pour off the excess water and let the containers drain. This is a good way to water larger seeds like pumpkins that need to soak up quite a lot of water to germinate.

Cover containers.To help conserve moisture, you can place containers in a loosely-tied plastic bag. Or place a piece of moistened cardboard or newspaper over the trays. Use the latter method if seeds need darkness to germinate.

Check Every Day! As soon as you see signs of life poking through the soil surface, remove any covering and place the container under lights, so the plants can begin photosynthesizing and manufacturing food. It is especially important to check containers daily if you’ve covered them with cardboard or paper. Otherwise, tiny seedlings will immediately stretch to try to reach the light, and they’ll have skinny, weak stems.

Once they've germinated, most plants prefer cooler temperatures. In general, a room in which the temperature is somewhat cooler than room temperature (60-65F) is ideal. This encourages stout, sturdy growth.