Step 1
Open
Lid off, planter somewhere bright. Keep the lid — it becomes your humidity dome.
Plant information
What each seed actually needs.
Germination is mostly warmth, depth, and patience — in that order. Here is the data for the plants in our kits, plus what to do when something goes wrong.
Sowing and germination data
Soil temperature is the single biggest factor before a seed sprouts. Light barely matters until the first leaves appear.
| Plant | Sowing depth | Germination | Soil temp | Light once up | Grower’s note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basil Ocimum basilicum | 1/4 in (6 mm) | 5–10 days | 70–75°F | 6–8 hrs | Pinch the top set of leaves once six leaves appear; it doubles the bushiness. |
| Cilantro Coriandrum sativum | 1/4–1/2 in | 7–14 days | 60–68°F | 5–6 hrs | Bolts in heat. Keep it cool and cut often to delay flowering. |
| Cherry tomato Solanum lycopersicum | 1/4 in (6 mm) | 5–10 days | 70–80°F | 8–10 hrs | Needs the most light of any kit. A south window or a grow light. |
| Bell pepper Capsicum annuum | 1/4 in (6 mm) | 10–21 days | 75–85°F | 8–10 hrs | Slowest germinator here. Warmth matters more than light until it sprouts. |
| Cucumber Cucumis sativus | 1/2–1 in | 3–10 days | 70–85°F | 6–8 hrs | Fast and hungry. Plan to move it to a larger container or outdoors. |
| Sunflower Helianthus annuus | 1 in (25 mm) | 7–10 days | 70–75°F | 6–8 hrs | Taproot resents disturbance. Transplant early, while it is still short. |
| Sugar maple Acer saccharum | 1/4–1/2 in | After stratification | 65–75°F | 4–6 hrs | Needs 60–90 days of cold stratification before it will germinate. |
| Northern red oak Quercus rubra | 1 in (25 mm) | After stratification | 65–75°F | 4–6 hrs | Needs 30–60 days of cold stratification. Sow the acorn on its side. |
Germination windows assume soil held in the stated range. Cooler soil slows everything down; it does not usually stop it.
Tree kits are not pre-stratified
Tree seeds carry a built-in dormancy that only lifts after a sustained cold, moist period. We ship them dormant on purpose, and every tree kit includes the exact temperature and duration to run that cold stratification yourself — typically 30–60 days for red oak and 60–90 days for sugar maple, held just above freezing.
Sow an unstratified tree seed and it will simply sit there. That is the seed working correctly, not a failed kit.
The seven steps
Step 2
Sow at depth
Depth is species-specific. Roughly twice the width of the seed is a safe rule.
Step 3
Water and cover
Damp as a wrung-out cloth. Rest the lid on top to hold humidity.
Step 4
Keep it warm
Before sprouting, warmth beats light. Most kits want 65–85°F soil.
Step 5
Lid off
Once most seeds are up, remove the lid for good. This prevents mould.
Step 6
Give it light
Brightest window, or a light 2–3 in above for 12–16 hours a day.
Step 7
Harden off
Going outside? One hour of shade on day one, adding an hour daily for a week.
When something goes wrong
Six problems account for nearly every failed seed start. Each one has a cause you can act on.
Seedlings are tall, pale, and floppy
Why it happens. Not enough light. The stem stretches toward the nearest source, a response called etiolation.
What to do. Move to a brighter window or add a light 2–3 in above the seedlings for 12–16 hours a day. Stems will not shorten, but new growth comes in compact.
White fuzz on the soil surface
Why it happens. Harmless saprophytic mould, almost always from the lid staying on too long after sprouting.
What to do. Take the lid off for good once most seeds are up, scrape the fuzz away, and let the top layer dry slightly between waterings.
Seedlings collapse at the soil line
Why it happens. Damping-off, a fungal disease driven by Pythium and Rhizoctonia in cold, saturated soil.
What to do. Not reversible on affected seedlings. Prevent it: water from below, keep air moving, and do not let the soil sit waterlogged.
Nothing has come up
Why it happens. Usually soil that is too cold, seed buried too deep, or a tree seed that has not been stratified.
What to do. Check the sowing depth against the table above. Warmth matters more than light before germination. Tree seeds must be cold-stratified first.
Lower leaves yellowing
Why it happens. Nitrogen depletion once seedlings exhaust the seed’s own reserves, or nutrients leached out by heavy watering.
What to do. Begin a half-strength liquid feed every second week after the first true leaves, or pot up into fresh soil.
Leaf edges brown and crisp
Why it happens. Low humidity or salt build-up from tap water, concentrating at the leaf margin where water exits.
What to do. Water until a little drains, rather than in small sips. Let tap water stand overnight, or use filtered water.
Stuck on something not listed here?
Send a photo of the seedling and the kit name. We grow these ourselves, so we can usually tell you what happened.