OK, I hope this makes sense.....
One side of the hibiscus seed is curved in, with a point at one end. The OTHER side is round. Nick the center of this (round) side.
Barb

Hello:Barb I appreciate your advice.It looks like I nicked the seeds ok.This is my first time growing hibiscus seeds.Last year I grew the yellow manihot and the seeds look different.Thanks!Karla

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what nicking is and why you do it? I have never heard of it before. I am going to try to grow some hibiscuses this year and wondered if I would need to nick my seeds?

Thanks for any help,

Melissa

Melissa,
Nicking the seeds is where you nick just the outer hard "shell" of the seed so that moisture can get in easier and germination will be sooner. That is the way I understand it. I nick moonflower and morning glory seeds as well, then I soak them overnight in water and plant them the next day. I use a very sharp knife and be careful not to nick the embryo inside.

Hi all have a question, I was given some seeds that were to be Hisbiscus seeds, they are quite small, how do you hold them and nick them? I have planted them all ready with very poor sucess, out of probably 40 seeds of 5 different variety I have 7 come up, at lease I hope they are Hibiscus , other than trying to nick themI have planted tomato seeds under grow lights and have good luck, is there a secret I don't know? Any help would be appreciated I think they are beautiful, I promised my daughter some plants and hate to think we both won't have much this summer. thanks in advance for any infro Jerry

I heard of one grower who nicked them by putting each individually into one of those dog nail clippers that has a hole that the nail would go through before you squeeze. I thought that was pretty ingenious.

I don't nick my seeds. I put them in wet paper towel until they germinate, then put in pots til large enough to put outside.

Nicking the seeds only speed the germination. I never knick or soak my hibiscus. Just plant them and in 3-4 days they will be peaking out from the soil.

Ok i grow the red hardy Hibiscus on the yearly basis. Use sand paper does the same job but its easyer and it works i tryed both 6 sanded and 6 not sanded all the ones i sanded came up in 2 weeks not one came up in 3 months I'am also looking for a trade of pink hardy seed if interested contack me Thank you anna

ok so i took a chance and bought some hibiscus seeds off of e bay (ya ya i know!) probably not even hibiscus lol. Anyway i keep hearing about nicking the hibiscus seed from the wider end (which these are oval shaped) but It would take a magnifying glass and a very small sharp tool to be able to see these seeds almost. (very small) but they do have the shape they mention. basically wiide on one end and more pointed on the other. Do hibiscus seeds come this small?

I have already tried asking the seller and she said yes these are defiantly hibiscus.. But there is no way to possibly nick these! could I just try putting them in very warm water and hope that it will help them germinate before planting them? Should i just try soaking them in a small bowl or use the paper towel method? any one have any suggestions?

can you post a pic? hibiscus seeds are rather large for seeds.they look kinda like mini popcorn kernels but black and fuzzy usually....

I will do that when i get home, thanks

this is what they said I am purchasing from them and these are how small the seeds are the whole lot of them are smaller than half the size of a dime (maybe)

if u can zoom in, u will see the shape of them

I decided to wrap them in a moist paper towel and placed them in a baggie where the morning sun can hit them for a while to warm them up (in case that helps)

These are tropical hibiscus seeds

Do you nick the eye or the other side?

no need to nick, just put in wet paper towel til germination, works just fine

Those seeds looks like columbine seeds to me.

if you are going to nick - nick the big round part. the pointy part houses the root tip. nicking the seeds speeds up the germination process.

Hi my Aunt gave me these "hibiscus seeds" a couple of months ago. They are so damn hard though. Is that normal? I ended up chopping one in half with players it was tricky to get through and cut like wood. Am I wasting my time even trying to germinate these?

I'm a pretty amateur green thumb still so any advice is appreciated :)