I start seeds at different times depending on when they should be ready to be planted in the field. It is always a lot of fun and a lot of heartache! All seeds are not created equal as they range from quite large to miniscule. Some are hard and some not so much, some need to be soaked, cold stratified, or just planted as is. Covering your seeds in the growing medium is not always necessary, nor by the way is light. Will they like warm temparture's with a dome for the green house effect to germinate? They may or maybe cold is better. So as you can tell, a lot of research goes in to starting seeds and by the way just because you do what they like, they don't always do their thing. The importance of good quality growing medium, along with a reputable seed source is as important as providing the correct environment.