[Hermit]

Some folk do that with different seeds MGM ,it is to see if the seeds are viable or help large seeds such as beans crack.

[Plantoid]

Trev, try making a newspaper insert to fit inside a 3 inch plant pot double thickness and scrunch up the botttom to make the floor of the pot . Fill it with decent seed compost and sow a single seed in each pot .. Grow them indoors inn the warmth till they get the first true leaf not the seed leaf  and then take them to the place where you are going to harden them off such as a north facing window cill then once the y are 2 inches high take them outside and plant them by carefully lifting the plaer insert out the pot . use the pot to make a skightly packed earth hole , remive then pot insert the paper 7 plant .. firm it and water it , dont leave any paper showintg above the soil line or it will wick moisture out the ground.

 It's worth doing this with tywenty or so seed and see what you end yop with as well as sowing by the seed packet destructions.

 Note the times given on seed packet are a generaal time  as per weather conditions usually found on a coast to coast line across the UK from B'ham to Peterborough   As a general guide  for every 100 miles north add 5 days , for every 100 miles south take off 7 days , though elevation & proximity to the sea also needs to be taken into account