Here again no professional equipment other than pots is necessary although a dibble and a tamper are helpful.
Seeds are never sown in the usual potting soil used for full grown plants—it is too rich in nutrients and would “burn out” any seeds sown in it. Until fairly recently home gardeners used a sand soil and peat moss mixture in which to start their seeds. This was, and of course still is, fairly successful, but it has a number of drawbacks. The main trouble is that because it is difficult to serilize, it often contains any of a number of fungi which cause damp-ing-off, a killing disease. In recent years a substance called vermiculite has been packaged in combination with sterilized soil for use as a medium for seed starting. Vermiculite is a sterile, weed-free mica-like mineral which takes the place of sand. Seeds will germinate in this mixture without the problems of disease that are present in the use of the homemade starting soil. Also on the market is a complete starting mixture known as Vermiculoam. Vermiculoam is a combination of vermiculite, sterilized peat, and hormones. It actually carries the plant longer than vermiculite, and will give you a larger plant before you have to transplant.