it is possible the cracked one could just be dead... sometimes seeds will have crib death... and die young for no apparent reason, or, in some cases, not even take off.. as far as starting your seeds.. you can do it in a smaller container if you want, or in the final container you are going to use.. if the container is, lets say 5 gallons, and you are just starting the seed know that you dont need to wet all the soil... just around the seed/sprout, until you see growth really start taking off..