lol for some reason all the noobs on here that dont know how to grow always seem to think grow big or go home. They'll go out and purchase all these fancy seeds from websites and spend more money on auto flowering and feminized seeds thinkin its easier, really its just a huge waste of money. for the first time grower all you need is a bag seed, so if you do screw up your grow, u didnt just blow 50 bucks on seeds.
Another thing is that everybody thinks plants need fertilizers to grow. they dont, Ive had plenty of crops that have doubled in yeild compared to friends with expensive strains and fertlizers, all his weed did was give me a headache, Alot of it is really in the curing part of it. that was for everybody in general who wants to grow big their first time.
Lol OK as for germination, take a container with a lid, cover the bottom with damp paper towl, put seeds on top, cover the seeds with another layer of damp paper towel, so its like a sandwich with seeds in the middle. then put the lid on, poke holes in it for air, and place in a dark, room temperature, place. spray down the paper towel everytime it starts to dry out, make sure not to soak the paper or you'll drown the seeds, just enough for moisten them, and in as little as a day the seeds can start to sprout.
I wouldnt really try to mess around with fertilzers this time, as this is your first grow, dont want to kill them, just get the growing experience down first. Also to keep in pots or not. Are you germinating then putting directly into soil outside? If so at least put them in small cups of soil, some miracle grow, some kind of decent top soil. try to make a greenhouse for them to when they are babies, they'll have a better chance of surviving, once their about 6-8 inches tall I like to put them into the ground, then let mother nature take over. hope that helps, peace