Indoor Seed Starting: Watering Mistakes and Tricks for Difficult Seeds

Two questions: 1) Seedlings die after germination. You bottom-water (pots in tray of water) under fluorescent lights with a fan. Too much moisture? 2) Can’t germinate purple coneflower, redbud, campanula.

1. Watering Fix

• Pots must drain freely; don’t sit in water long.
• Water only when soil surface begins to dry.
• Keep warm (70–75°F).
• Root rot from standing water is likely cause of death.

2. Difficult Seeds

• Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis): Nick seed coat (scarify), then moist paper towel in plastic bag in fridge 60–90 days (cold stratification). Plant ½″ deep, warm under lights.
• Purple Coneflower: Usually easy; some species (E. tennesseensis) need cold treatment. Try same as redbud.
• Campanula: Many species; some germinate best pressed into soil, not buried. Need specific type to advise.