• Starting your own seeds gives you more varieties from which to choose.Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
  
  For the price of a six-pack of bedding annuals you can buy a packet of seeds and grow dozens of plants. Starting your own plants from seeds isn't just economical. Instead of having a few varieties of bedding plants to choose from, you'll have a wide range of options. Just open any seed catalog to see the possibilities.
  
  

Paper Cups

• The "Gardener to Gardener Almanac & Pest Control Primer" suggests using bathroom-size paper cups for starting seeds. Most of them have a ridge around the bottom that holds them slightly above the surface of a tray. Poke drainage holes near the ridge so that when the cup begins to sag on the bottom the holes won't be blocked. Always poke holes from the inside of the cup so that the frayed paper is on the outside. When the frayed edges are on the inside, the weight of the soil and water will push them down, plugging up the hole.
  
  

Starting Medium

• A good starting medium is essential to starting healthy plants. You can make your own by mixing 1 part good garden soil with 2 parts vermiculite. This mixture must be sterilized before use. Before sterilizing, open a few windows for ventilation because heated soil puts off a very strong, unpleasant odor. Pour the mixture into a baking pan and moisten it. Cover with aluminum foil and poke a candy thermometer into the center. Bake in a 200 to 250 degree oven until the candy thermometer reads 160 to 180 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the soil to cool.
  
  

Compressed Peat Pellets

• Add water to make these round, flat pellets swell to form a pot filled with peat moss. Compressed peat pots are great for starting seeds. The roots are never disturbed or damaged because you plant pot and all in the garden. The problem is that they tip over easily. Place these little pots inside a pan with high sides to keep them from toppling. If you don't have enough pots for a snug fit, add a small plastic pot or yogurt cup to fill in the extra space.
  
  

Depth

• The depth at which the seed is planted depends on the size of the seed. The average seed will germinate well under a light coating of soil. Large seeds, such as sweet peas or sunflowers are covered with about twice their diameter with soil. Lightly press fine, powdery seeds such as pansies onto the top of the soil without covering them.
  
  

Fine Seeds

• Very fine seeds are hard to work with. It is very difficult to get just a few seeds onto the starting medium, and you often end up with something that looks like a chia pet. Try using a small, soft paint brush like those that come with a child's watercolor set. Press the paintbrush into the seeds and then touch it to the soil.
  
  

Covers

• Covering your seeds helps hold in moisture. Cover pots and flats with plastic wrap or slide a try of small pots into a plastic zipper bag. Keep the bag sealed until the seeds germinate, then remove the bag. Place the bags in a warm location out of direct sunlight.