Seeds aren't sprouting.

Yeah, it may be your soil temp, it has an important effect on sprouting seeds.

Germination requires water and a suitable temperature, and that's about all. Soil conditions may affect the developing plant, but the soil you have is highly unlikely to be the problem. Just misting the soil may not be enough - it's possible that you're just wetting the soil above the seeds. Check that the soil is moist all the way through - if not, stand the pots in some water until it is. Other than that, keep everything warm and be patient.

Rather than misting the seeds, keep the little pots in some sort of enclosure until they sprout. That's what those plastic-domed 'mini greenhouses' are for -- to keep the air around the pots moist. A plastic bag, or a piece of saran wrap, or a repurposed take-out food clamshell all work just as well. Whatever enclosure you use, put it in a warm spot. If the soil was moistened before you put it in the pots, misting should be unnecessary. As soon as the seedlings sprout, remove the pots from the enclosure and put them under lights.

To clarify: 1. moisten the soil 2. then fill the pots 3. then plant the seeds 4. sit pots in a tray of water for about 20 minutes so the soil takes up as much water as it wants 5. place pots in enclosure, in a warm spot, and check daily.

Ok, sounds like I'll add some water to the tray so it can soak up from the bottom. I had been keeping the tray on a radiator, but the cats keep knocking it off. And patience!

It's unlikely that you will need to soak the pots more than once, and keeping the soil really saturated will prevent germination by causing fungal diseases. I like to do an initial soak, then drain, and rely upon the dome or plastic wrap or whatever to keep moisture in. You can always mist if you think the top of the soil is drying out. As other people have said, temperature is important. I would have thought a radiator would be too hot. In the past I've used heating pads and even an electric blanket for a large number of flats, aiming for about 80 deg F soil temperature. I've also been really impatient, and trashed whole flats of seeds I was convinced were bad, only to look in the bucket of discarded soil mix and see those seeds (in the cold and dark, uncovered) beginning to germinate. If I had just waited one more week...

I had been keeping the tray on a radiator Uh, you may have cooked the seeds. Operating radiators tend to be waaaaay too hot. Soil temp should be around 75F; not even bath water temperature. Try the top of the fridge.

radiator may have cooked your seeds Another possibility is that the radiator may have killed the seeds by drying them out. If a germinating seed goes really dry even for a little while, it's dead.

I should clarify - the first set of seeds were on a towel on top of the radiator. The cats knocked it off and spilled everything, so I replanted with fresh seeds. THAT crop has been sitting on a dresser.