>> have some questions concerning growing vegetables from seed. Whenever we did it they always die.
That was the most interesting point. There is probably some one thing you could change that would make a huge difference.
Rather than ask a dozen vague questions about "Goldilocks" issues (moist but not too moist ... warm but not too warm ... cells "deep enough"), here are some ways to kill seedlings that I DO have experience with! Do any of these sound familiar?
1. Seeds dried out after germinating
2. Kept seedlings in tiny, shallow cells too long.
3. Over-watered
4. Set out too early and were chilled, rotted, or eaten by slugs, insects, birds or squirrels
5. Outdoor soil too heavy: seedlings could not push crust aside to emerge, soil too wet and cold so the seeds rotted
6. eaten by slugs
7. needed a warmer summer than I have, or a longer one, to ripen
The point at which they all died would be informative, and maybe someone will recognize those symptoms.
a. Seedlings fail to emerge?
b. seedlings emerge then fall over (damping off: rot at the soil line)
c. seedlings get a few pair of true leaves but then die
d. plants get several inches tall outside and then die for unknown reason
e. eaten by something, conspicuous disease, other reasons
f. fail to set fruit or fruit never ripens
