[feldon30]

I did presoak my seeds for a few minutes before transplant.

I want to reiterate that, especially for smaller seeds like cherry and roma types, you want the seed to be very shallow. In some cases, I just laid the seed on top of the mix and arranged a couple of strands of the peat on top of it. Because these seeds were not in contact with soil to wick moisture to them, I used a spray bottle to lightly mist those particular cells every day.

The soil was wet when I started sowing seeds. Although I did use the included clear plastic cover, I didn't place it directly on to get a seal but left a slight gap. And then I would remove the cover for a half hour to improve airflow.

I had very good germination with all this in mind.

You can also try germinating seeds on a barely moist paper towel inside a ziplock bag, then cut the seedling out of the paper towel with scissors and plant it in the correct orientation. The paper towel will dissolve.