For a strong veg crop, lavish your seedlings with tender, loving care

During that gorgeous spring of the first lockdown, my partner would joke that, while everyone else was in front of Netflix, I was binge-watching my plants. I’m a compulsive seedling peeper. I want to witness every part of the process, from the initial suggestion of germination to the first unfurling of leaves. I make a note of every minuscule moment in my growing diary, as my tiny seeds turn into promising young plants.

Mastering the raising of strong young plants is critical for any gardener who wants to grow from seed: those early days set the stage for the rest of the crop’s life and the likelihood of a good harvest.

The soil – or, more likely, compost – temperature has to be right. Some seeds (mostly warm-weather crops such as tomatoes, courgettes and basil) need warmth to germinate while others (almost everything else I grow to eat) do not. I use a propagator or a heat mat to get my warmth-loving seeds going, but I’ve heard an airing cupboard can do the trick as long as you move your seed tray into a bright place as soon as shoots appear.

And that’s because light is also essential. Once they have emerged from the soil, seedlings need ample sunlight (often a challenge in British springtime) and will lean towards the strongest light source – a phenomenon known as phototropism. Plants are often grown on windowsills, where the light comes from one direction, making seedlings stretch and become weakened by their efforts. Using a grow light (as I do with chillies and tomatoes), regularly rotating your seed trays and using foil to refract the light can help manage this.

Getting the watering right is also important, as too much can cause a seed to rot before it sprouts or a nascent root to be overwhelmed. And, of course, not enough water will kill off a young plant just as readily.

Related: Salad shortage in the UK? Try growing your own for fun and flavour

Growing from seed is an exquisite experience but can be hugely disappointing when it doesn’t work. So, remember, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with acknowledging that you don’t have the right conditions for starting plants from seed and instead buying plugs to populate your veg beds.

My tomato and chilli plants are now busily producing their true leaves but remain in the safety of the house while the somewhat hardier crops that I sowed in early March are toughing it out in the chilly greenhouse. I check on them daily, offering them words of encouragement and a gentle stroke. It’s a slightly odd but scientifically sound gesture which – by mimicking the buffeting of the weather and the jostling of creatures passing by – should help persuade your plants to grow stout and sturdy.