With the right amount of heat and moisture,starting seeds indoorsis simple.

Soon, you’ll have plants ready to transfer to the garden or a container.

Learn all the basics of germination and seed starting indoors below.

Sprouting vegetable seeds on a paper towel

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What Is Germination?

Heat mats placed under the seed starting tray are an excellent way to give the seeds a quick start.

What Seeds Can You Start Indoors?

Closeup of seed germination

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Vegetables and Herbs

Flowers

What Seeds Should Not Be Started Indoors?

Root crops do not transplant well from seed-starting trays.

Direct sowcarrot,radish, kohlrabi,beet, andturnip seeds.

Steps for how to germinate seeds in a paper towel

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Seed potatoes (potato eyes) should be planted directly into the garden or a container.

Nasturtium(Tropaeolum majus) andsunflowers(Helianthus annuus) do not transplant well from a seed-starting tray.

Speed up seed germination in several ways.

How to germinate seeds in soil

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

If the seeds have a hard seed coat, soak them in lukewarm water for several hours.

Keep the growing medium evenly moist at all times.

verify the temperature is warm enough for the seeds to germinate, and use a heat mat if necessary.

ensure to provide a light source if the seeds need light to germinate.

They also fail because the germination conditions (temperature, moisture, and light) aren’t met.

Soil issues such as compaction may also inhibit germination.

Germinating Seeds.West Virginia Extension.