Set 3-inch diameter seedling pots in a tray six weeks before the last expected spring frost in your area. Fill the pots with sterile potting soil to within 1/2 inch of the rim.

2

Pour 1 inch of water into the tray. Allow the potting mix to absorb the water through the bottom drainage holes in the pots for about 30 minutes, or until the soil’s surface moistens. Empty any remaining water from the tray.

3

Sow two four o’clock seeds on the soil surface of each pot. Press on the seeds lightly so they are in full contact with the soil. Cover the seeds with 1/4 inch of moist soil.

4

Cover the tray of pots with a clear plastic bag. Set the tray in a warm spot, around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, to germinate. Mist the soil surface lightly with water if it begins to dry out before germination, which can take up to seven days.

5

Remove the bag once sprouts emerge and move the tray to a window that receives six or more hours of sun each day. Pour 1 inch of water into the tray when the surface of the soil in the pots dries and empty the excess water out once the soil surface becomes moist. Bottom watering prevents wet foliage, which minimizes fungal diseases on the seedlings.

6

Snip off the weaker seedling in each pot at the soil surface with small shears when the four o’clocks grow their second set of leaves. Continue to water the remaining seedling, as needed, until it’s time to transplant them outdoors when the plants are 6 weeks old and the danger of frost has passed.