KISS rules with seed. Simple potting soil mix, no extra ferts or amendments, 3.5 inch square pots in a prop tray. No dome usually unless it’s too dry to maintain a moist substrate for 24 hours. Spray mist with plain water to til the sprouts pop and shed their seed coats, then gentle watering with plain water til a second set of true leaves appears.
Seeds need:
1) lightweight, moist not soaked, soil
2) warmth, from 75-85F
3) veg-level light from the day they break soil
4) some air movement, which is why I usually don’t use a dome.
That’s it folks. All the rest is folklore. At best it won’t hurt anything, but at worst will stunt or kill your seedlings. I cringe at some of the techs I see on the boards, paper towels, kelp teas, Superthrive, peroxide, peat pucks, soaking in a glass of water, point up, point down, etc., etc. These techs are for the benefit of anxious humans who can’t wait 3 or 4 days for their bean$ to sit out of sight underground, doing what seeds are designed to do.
Seedlings just want warmth, water, soil and light. Give it to them and they will do the rest.
-b420
