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For seeds to grow they need to germinate, which requires:
This is important to swell the seed to start the chemical process to get the seed to germinate and grow.
There needs to be sufficient water in the earth to set the seed on it's way to germination. Before sowing seeds check the ground is damp, if not add a sprinkling of water with a watering can with a rose head before sowing your seeds. Watering before hand also means the seeds will stay in place, rather than watering after they are sown which can push the seeds away from the area you want them in.
If the ground is too wet the seed won't get enough oxygen to be able to germinate and will stay dormant or even rot.
The seeds will require oxygen as they need to breath, especially once germination is taking place, the rate of oxygen needed increases as the seed grows.
Ensuring the soil has a nice fine grain, but not too fine so that it can compact down is important to trap oxygen within the soil structure.
The ideal temperature for germination depends on the plant. A plant that comes from the northern hemisphere will germinate at a far lower temperature then a plant from the southern hemisphere.
Temperature is also important in the speed of germination. The higher the normal temperature for that region is, the faster germination will take place. Seeds sown into cold soils will tend to stay dormant or geminate very slowly. This makes them prone to rotting or pest and disease attack.
Some seeds need to go through a period of very cold temperatures to break dormancy, so a nice cold English winter should break the dormancy of native seeds. As an example, wildflower Yellow Rattle needs a period of cold weather so it's best to sow it during November.
Plants that require a warm temperature to germinate include tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, and busy lizzies. These need a temperature around 20c to 25c.
Plants native to the UK, such as carrot, cabbage, and wallflowers will germinate at much lower temperatures, e.g. 7c to 12c.
Most seeds prefer dark environments and are sowed under a layer or soil, but a few like light conditions where you sow them on top of the soil.
Many annual weed seeds will only germinate when exposed to light, this is why no dig is becoming popular, it stops weed seed that is buried deep in the ground from coming back to the surface. This is why mulches and other barriers can suppress weeds.
Most seeds from cultivated plants do not have a light/dark sensitivity and do not react to light so can be covered when sown.
Wildflower Foxglove is one of the plants that does require light where the seeds have been scattered to germinate.
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