In my travels of teaching others the how-to’s and no-no’s of seed starting, I find these to be the most common issues folks are dealing with.
Avoid these common seed-starting mistakes:
1. Starting too early: For most of us it is too early to start warm-season tender annuals such as tomatoes, zinnias, peppers, etc. February is the time to start cool-season hardy annuals—snapdragons, sweet williams, spinach, beets, lettuce, and lots of other candidates. These cool-season lovers can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked—meaning dry enough. Click here for cool-season veggie and flower seeds.
2. Seeds are dead when you start: Be sure your seeds are viable. Often times seeds stored in warm humid conditions, gathered from one’s own garden incorrectly or purchased from a retail source that have stored incorrectly (hot warehouses, etc.) have died. If in question, germinate test the seeds before you waste time. Click here for how-to.
3. Planting seeds directly out in garden when they prefer to be started indoors: Every seed has a preferred method of starting life. This translates into the easiest and most successful way for seeds to sprout and grow into a plant. If you don’t know which way the seed you have prefers, Google the name of the seed with “sowing instructions”.
4. Skipping a seedling heat mat: Perhaps the leading cause of poor sprouting and survival of seedlings indoors is cool soil. Most seeds sprout at 75 to 85 degrees. Soil temperature runs approximately 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the surrounding room temperature. If your house temperature hoovers at 70 degrees that means that the soil is around 55 degrees. A seedling heat mats is a small investment when you consider your efforts and how many seeds you are losing.
5. No grow light: Baby plants need 16 hours a day to grow into a healthy transplant. We don’t have 16 hours of natural sunlight a day. When plants don’t get enough light they start stretching and looking for it. This is the cause of tall lanky plants; they stretch as they search for light. Short stocky plants out produce tall lanky plants, are more resistant to disease and pests and just healthier all around.
I hope this helps clears the way to a successful seed-starting year!
Checkout my FAQ on seed-starting
– Lisa
Lisa Mason Ziegler founder of The Gardener’s Workshop and Flower Farming School Online. Award-winning Author of Vegetables Love Flowers, and Cool Flowers. Watch Lisa’s Story and view her blog Field & Garden. 
