seeds Germination Troubles

I will start by saying that I am new to growing from seed.  So, I planted 24 varieties of pepers with 3 seeds per variety, which gives me a total of 72 seeds.  I sowed them into jiffy pellets and put them in the pan with the clear plastic dome on top.  I've been using a heat mat.  The temperature in my house stays around 60-65, so I put a towel underneath the heat mat to keep the temp from escaping there, and one over top of the plastic dome to help insulate.  All of the siding is not covered by a towl though, so they are not completely insulated.
 
It's been 3 weeks now, and I've only had 11 out of 72 seeds germinate.  A few popped up around day 10, and a few around day 15.  I took apart a couple pellets, and the seeds do not appear to be rotten, just not germinating.  I do have suspicion that I planted them too deep.  I'm also not sure If I have over-hydrated them.  I've only re-watered the pan twice, where I put some warm water in, let it soak a min, then dump any excess.  But the pellets are pretty well soaked.  I also just bought a temp/humidity gauge, so hopefully that will give me some info.  I did not pre-soak the seeds before planting them.  Any suggestions?  What is ideal temp/humidity?  I'm about to do a new round of seeds in areas that are open.  This time I will soak for 24 hours.

If you don't have a thermostat on the heat mat, it could be overheating/cooking them. Also, the heat mat should only be used for germination - once they sprout you should remove them from the heat mat. The seeds should be kept roughly 76F - 80F, no higher than 90F and no lower than 70F. They will sprout slower below 76F, faster above that. Still, most of us have had seeds that didn't sprout for 3-4 weeks, depending on variety. Annuums usually sprout within a week, but others can be more stubborn.

Consider this - I sprout seeds between two damp coffee filters inside a plastic tub and just put it on top of the fridge. I'm in NE Ohio and keep the house pretty cool in the winter, but they seem to like the top of the fridge just fine.

Anyone know if taking seeds out of the dirt and giving them a soak would help matters at all?

geeme said:

If you don't have a thermostat on the heat mat, it could be overheating/cooking them. Also, the heat mat should only be used for germination - once they sprout you should remove them from the heat mat. The seeds should be kept roughly 76F - 80F, no higher than 90F and no lower than 70F. They will sprout slower below 76F, faster above that. Still, most of us have had seeds that didn't sprout for 3-4 weeks, depending on variety. Annuums usually sprout within a week, but others can be more stubborn.

Consider this - I sprout seeds between two damp coffee filters inside a plastic tub and just put it on top of the fridge. I'm in NE Ohio and keep the house pretty cool in the winter, but they seem to like the top of the fridge just fine.

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As soon as I see sprouts, I take them out, pot them in a solo cup and put them under lights.  I put the temp gauge in there 30-45mins ago and it is reading 79 degrees with 85% humidity.  So as long as that temp stays steady I'll be good.  Now I guess my concern is that I planted seeds too deep.
 
As far as germinating in-between paper towel / coffee filters.  Once they germinate you pot them up with the first leaves (Cotyledons) exposed i presume?
 
I'm also thinking about sowing 2 seeds per pellet with this next batch.

You can't really plant seeds too deep, I did a cheeky unscientific experiment this year with identical seeds sown in groups of three at depths of 0cm, 0.5cm, 1/2 inch, and 1.5 inch. Results were surprising, they all germinated and after the first leaves they were all approximately the same height and health. 
 
I suppose it shouldn't be terribly surprising given that they'd probably be sown in similarly random depths of bird/animal poop in the wild, would they not? 

moosery said:

You can't really plant seeds too deep, I did a cheeky unscientific experiment this year with identical seeds sown in groups of three at depths of 0cm, 0.5cm, 1/2 inch, and 1.5 inch. Results were surprising, they all germinated and after the first leaves they were all approximately the same height and health. 

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Well that's good to know.
 
I checked my temp gauge again, and it was at 85 degrees and 90% humidity.  So maybe I've been over heating them.  Now the question is, if I overcooked them at some point is there any coming back?

Physics202 said:

 
Well that's good to know.
 
I checked my temp gauge again, and it was at 85 degrees and 90% humidity.  So maybe I've been over heating them.  Now the question is, if I overcooked them at some point is there any coming back?

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I don't believe so - if you truly have cooked them, but I also don't believe 85F = 29C is considered overheating at all. All these germinated just fine...
 
http://imgur.com/VBe0jrH
 
Admittedly that wasn't the NORMAL temp, and I did open the vents once I noticed, but I do aim for around 30C as it speeds the whole thing up.
 
I don't think you've cooked them. And I don't think you've overwatered them either.
 
Did you let them dry out, even once? 

moosery said:

 
Did you let them dry out, even once? 

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I have not let them dry out at all.  I figured seeds needed moist soil.  My sprouts I have let dry out before re-watering.  I figured 85 is ok, but I'm also pretty sure they have gotten hotter than that on a couple days that it was hot in the house.  I know some varieties can take 4-6weeks to germ, but I'm at 3 weeks and only 10% have germinated, so I'm thinking something is wrong.  By the sounds of it, overheating is my most likely culprit.  I ordered my seeds from either buckeye, or pepper joe, so they should be good quality.

Seed quality is of upmost importance. If the seeds were not dried enough, or in the right conditions nothing you do would help them.

85° is not cooking them I assure you, I use a heat mat with thermostat and check the temperature with Infrared/laser thermometer and I keep my seeds at 86° and usually end up with well over 80% germ rates. Now Over-watering could very well be your problem. I usually never need to water mine once they are sown, I keep the humidity dome on and at the most I will spray the cells with a spray bottle maybe once every 2 weeks. With the humidity dome my medium usually stays wet enough.

coheed196 said:

Seed quality is of upmost importance. If the seeds were not dried enough, or in the right conditions nothing you do would help them.

85° is not cooking them I assure you, I use a heat mat with thermostat and check the temperature with Infrared/laser thermometer and I keep my seeds at 86° and usually end up with well over 80% germ rates. Now Over-watering could very well be your problem. I usually never need to water mine once they are sown, I keep the humidity dome on and at the most I will spray the cells with a spray bottle maybe once every 2 weeks. With the humidity dome my medium usually stays wet enough.

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I guess I could have over watered them as well.  The cells are def super moist right now.  I figured the seeds needed lots of constant moisture to germ,  Lots to learn I suppose.
 
Thanks all for the responses.