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Problem #1: Seeds have to be moist enough to germinate, dry enough that the fungi don’t move in, in soil damp enough to keep them going, but with enough air spaces that oxygen can get to the seeds and the roots.
General solution: a well-drained potting soil, and plastic pots with good drainage holes. Keep soil about as moist as a sponge you’d use to wipe off the kitchen counter.
Problem #2: Drought and drown. Most of us don’t have the time to watch seedlings really, really carefully and water them every time they need it. Plus some of us (ahem! who me?) have minds like sieves and just plain forget to water now and then. A seed that’s started to germinate and then dries out is dead.
General solution: Keep the humidity up so the soil doesn’t dry out so rapidly. If you’ve got seeds in soil, cover with plastic wrap so the tray doesn’t dry out. Once you see the first signs of seedlings, though, you need to remove the cover and start paying closer attention.