In April I planted seeds for the first time: bell peppers and onions in small plastic cups with drainage holes, and a few in small square ceramic pots. The ceramic pots were a bad choice. We bought them on impulse because they looked nice. At that point, I didn’t understand up-potting at all. When starting seeds, container size and flexibility matter more than appearance.
By May, I’d figured out what a proper seed-starting tray was and picked up 1.5-inch cells with a bottom-watering tray and a clear humidity dome. The dome has plenty of critics, and later trays showed me it isn’t strictly necessary. Once seeds germinate, too much humidity can actually cause problems. Damping off is real, and excess moisture makes it more likely.
Looking back at photos of seedlings in those trays is still strange. Some of those tiny starts became full pumpkin plants with leaves nearly two feet wide. It’s a good reminder of how misleading scale can be early on, and how much patience seed-starting actually requires.