I agree Umbrian (with your comments in
the separate thread introducing me and my garden), and thanks for the words of encouragement. I have been very successful with raising plants from seed, but much of this is due to the facilities I have at my disposal. A warm sunny glasshouse and nice sterile seed raising mix make a world of difference. My tips for getting strong seedlings is;
Sow in small shallow trays with sterile potting mix
Cover thinly with vermiculite or pumice or fine perlite or some similar inorganic grit
Keep in a warm spot
Spray with a mist bottle every day or every other day
Once seedlings are up and are looking like making first true leaves, prick them out into small cells, very carefully.
I do not delay pricking out and usually separate them when they are still tiny little things.
Use a very gritty, open, free draining mix to prevent damping off.