Hello, I've been germinating my seeds by spreading them on two damp sheets of paper towels, rolling the towels up, and putting them in a ziplock bag. Then I tape the bag to my space heater on its low setting. This method has worked incredibly well for me, and the seeds I've used so far have all germinated (moonflower, cucumber, broccoli, and morning glory.)
But I tried basil last night, and I unrolled the paper towels to a look and they have this weird kind of clear jelly looking stuff all over them Not sure what that's about...