Media that work
Options
Sow in ground, potting mix, peat pellets, rockwool, or other starter cubes
Clean mix
Pasteurized or sterile media such as vermiculite, rockwool, and most indoor mixes are safer for a sprout
Water path
Use a 0.5 percent peroxide mix, compost tea, mycorrhizae, or a combination to limit pathogens
Cups
Paper or foam cups are light if you germinate in one place and move later
Plantable pots
Straw, rice, or paper pots can go into a larger hole without tearing the root ball
Rockwool and trays
Sheets
Starter sheets fit a standard 10 by 20 inch tray and split into 50 or 72 cubes
Step up
Move seedlings onto larger blocks about a week after germination
Four-inch cubes
Those can hold a plant two to four weeks without stalling roots
No bare-root
Starting in a cube you will later nest avoids pulling a taproot out of mix
Keep the surface moist
Rule
The medium must stay moist the entire germination window, indoors or out
Dome
A humidity dome or clear film slows evaporation
Sun crust
Outdoor sun can dry the top layer in hours. Shade germination is often easier, then transplant
Late spring
Stronger light and heat make surface dry-out worse
Dead seed
Dry mix during sprout is a common silent failure, not a bad genetics story
After the sprout breaks
Light now
As soon as the stem is up, it needs light or it will stretch
Prefer singles
Individual containers beat a shared seedbed because roots are not torn at transplant
ID
Label every cup and keep that tag through harvest
Watch stretch
A bit of stretch can thicken later with more light and cooler air. A lot of stretch needs a stake or a deeper plant