Define what failed
Describe the outcome before assigning a cause. No seedlings appeared, a few emerged and stopped, or healthy seedlings collapsed are different problems. Record the plant and cultivar, seed source, sowing date and the date you decided to investigate. Keep the packet instructions or a photograph of them. Note whether you counted the seeds or sowed an unknown quantity, because those situations support different conclusions. A precise description gives the next attempt a starting point; writing that you are bad at seeds does not explain anything about the tray.
Reconstruct the conditions you can verify
List the container, growing medium, sowing depth, watering method and actual location. Add recorded temperatures if you have them, but do not invent exact figures from memory. Include changes such as a tray being moved into stronger sun, a propagator being switched off, or a few days when nobody checked moisture. Separate those facts from possibilities. Old seed, unsuitable temperature, excess moisture and sowing depth may all deserve investigation, but the notes should show which of them you observed and which remain untested explanations.
Check whether the attempt is really finished
Compare the elapsed time with reliable guidance for that particular plant. Some seeds need specific treatment or emerge irregularly, so an apparently empty pot may not justify an immediate conclusion. Inspect carefully without repeatedly digging up the entire sowing. If seedlings did appear, photograph any remaining symptoms before clearing the tray. Keep suspect diseased material separate from a clean new attempt and clean reusable equipment appropriately. Decide whether to wait, investigate further or restart, then record the reason for that decision beside the original observations.
Change one useful part next time
Plan a small repeat that answers a question. You might use fresh seed while keeping the method consistent, or follow a verified sowing-depth instruction more closely. Avoid changing every condition at once if your aim is to learn what mattered. Give the repeat its own batch label and compare emergence and survival with the earlier record. Even when the cause remains uncertain, keep the practical lesson: perhaps you need a moisture-check reminder or a more suitable growing position. The record earns its place when it changes a future action.
A little further reading
Match these general notes to your plant variety, climate and local conditions.
