check out the winter sowing thread.
I do not start seeds indoors.

Here is a link that might be useful: 2013 Texas Winter Swoing Thread

Ash - I'm not really the best person to be answering this because it's my first year starting seeds indoors. But I'll share what I'm trying.

1. When you say "heat lamps" I'm not sure what exactly you mean. I have heat mats (kind of)underneath my seed trays that I made. It's a board with christmas lights attached. I posted a picture a little while ago. I got the idea from vegetablegardener.com. His experiment got him 78-80 degree soil temps. My soil gets about 15 degrees higher than the ambient air temp which is 65-70 degrees. Not ideal for germination, but the seeds are coming up pretty well so I guess it's high enough.

2. My whole set up is in my laundry room in my house on a 4 shelf rack. The seeds are planted in little plastic cups and stay covered with plastic on the heat mat until they germinate. The cups are in tin trays I got at Costco. As soon as a cup starts germinating it's uncovered and moved to a different shelf with lights. That's another picture I posted a while back. The lights are regular florescent shop lights and I put them really close to the plants. As the plants grow (hopefully) I'll move the lights up on their chain.

3.The shelves each have a plastic tray with a 2" lip on it mostly because I was worried about water draining all over the floor. So far I've watered about every 2-3 days when it seems like there isn't much condensation on the plastic or the pots look a little dry. I put the water in the tin trays. I drilled holes in the bottom of the cups and the water sucks up through the holes. Again, I don't know if I'm doing it right but when I do it in the morning the water is gone by the time I get home from work. I also spray the plants that have been moved under the lights once in the morning.

4. Everything I've read said you transplant into potting soil after the first set of "true leaves" appear which aren't to be confused with the first leaves that come out. I'm really hoping it's obvious what a "true leaf" is because I have no clue what that looks like at this point.

5. Some things I planted two to container (tomatoes) some three (peppers) and some I just sort of sprinkled (chives and sage). Mostly it had to do with how much seed I had. I'll thin anything that doesn't look strong and healthy.

I remember reading one site and it showed a comparison of some seeds that had been started at the same time and some had been put under lights after germination and some had been put by a window. The window seedlings didn't look nearly as healthy as the ones under lights. There were fewer leaves and the roots weren't nearly as developed as the ones grown under lights. Their point was windows will work, but lights will work better.

The only thing that hasn't come up much is my fennel but I had my first one this morning so maybe they just take a little longer. I planted 4 or 5 kinds of tomatoes, herbs, fennel, and some peppers. I planted them Jan 17 and 18.

If you can get things to come up and then they die is it from damping off?

I've read about winter sowing and will probably try that in the future, but I'm just not sure where I would keep the containers. I've also had pretty good luck direct sowing some things especially cool weather veggies in the past. I direct sowed some arugula, bok choy, and broccoli raabe on January 6 and they're coming up. Lettuce is easy to direct sow too.

I'll post some pics if you want but right now the camera is in Cleveland so it will a few days.

Hope this helps - Lisa

I have cabbage broccoli and cauliflower already in my raised beds but this is what I do. It's not fancy nor pretty but it always works for me.

Tools: used egg cartons cardboard are better because they can go in the ground but I re use the styrofoam ones. Two under counter lights two to three foot long. Scrap wood. Cheap potting soil not that expensive special made seed starting stuff. I do this every year on a pretty large scale and feed whole fam almost all year in my zone.

Punch holes in egg carton cups with a screw deiver. Potting soil in egg carton. Water. Add 1 seed to each little cup. Under counter lights are cheap, reusable, and add warmth. The ones I got from lowes actually connect to each other too. So I only have one cord.

Because we often have 70 degree sunny days here in winter I check the weather in the mornin and set the transplants out on the concrete drive on those days. Even at 50 degrees in sun on the concrete the soil warms up from sitting on the concrete.

In the pic is more cabbage almost all have sprouted and working on the third leaf and that was a week ago same for the cauliflower that's planted in the other tray.

I used 59 cent off brand peat pots for my tomatoes because it will be a while longer before I transplant them. Those will be in bottle bottoms which are bigger by the time they go out permanently. Same goes for the herbs and flowers that are under the lights.

If you notice mine are sitting on the dryer. It's the warmest spot in my house because I'm ALWAYS doing laundry it seems. Just don't let the transplants/seeds dry out.

Transplant when it's time and certain things don't transplant as well as direct sowing in my experience. Squash/beans/peas.

I have raised beds that in the past week I have direct sown spinach turnips peas and carrots all but the carrots have already come up. So if you like those go ahead and plant those sometime soon if you can cover them and don't worry about transplanting.

And I agree buying transplants isa huge waste of money. You can use anything to plant seeds in but if you use egg cartons they are evenly spaced no thinning required. And if its cardboard just cut the cups and put them in the ground with the transplant.