Constance
Master Chef
I start all my seeds - whether they're ultimately ending up in the garden or in deck containers - indoors in small plastic cell packs - one or two seeds per cell. I use bagged soilless seed-starting or potting mixes, which help to eliminate seedling-killing diseases that are present in regular soil. I start them under lights, as well as on south-facing windowsills. If you just dump a whole packet of seeds into a small pot, you're going to have one heck of a time separating those tender seedlings, what with all the roots & stems tangled together. (With the chives, however, once they've sprouted & grown a bit you can just remove the entire bunch from the pot & slice them up - soil & all - with a knife into plantable "portions", sort of like brownies. Certainly don't bother trying to separate each individual chive.)
When my cell-sown plants are a few inches tall, they're then "hardened off", which just means allowing them to adjust to the great outdoors. They spend days outside in a semi-shaded area & nights back indoors - every day spending a little more time in full sun until they're acclimated. They're then planted out into their permanent spots - the garden or containers.
Callisto - I think you need to hit your local library or bookstore & pick up a basic veggie gardening or seed-starting book. Just to have on hand for reference purposes, if nothing else.
I started many thousands of seeds when I had the greenhouses, and Breezy knows what she's talking about.
Seeds don't need much soil to germinate, as they don't have much of a root at first. If there's too much wet soil under them, they will damp off.
Plastic meat trays from the supermarket with a few holes punched in the bottom are perfect for starting seeds.
A couple of hints:
Wet your growing medium before you use it, whether planting seeds or potting up your seedlings, as the high ratio of peat moss makes it difficult to get wet through the first time.
Don't plant the seeds too deep. Cover them to the depth of the seed. A zucchini seed, for instance, needs to poked into the soil about 1/2 inch. Pepper seeds only need a fine covering, parsley seeds need not be covered at all. Simply sprinkle them on top and lightly press them into the soil and spray with a fine mist (spray bottle) to moisten.
Once the seeds are planted, cover with plastic and put in a warm place, like on top of the refrigerator. Peppers, especially, need heat to germinate. They don't necessarily need light...in fact, some germinate better in the dark. If you have lights set up, put the seeds within 4-6 inches of the lights, and they will get enough heat to pop right up. Once they're up, take off the plastic and ease them into the sunlight.
Transplant the seedlings when they get their first or second set of true leaves.
If you're going to grow parsley or basil in the garden, plant the seeds directly in the soil. They'll really take off that way.