Hi Angie!
As long as they are Hardy Hibiscus, and not tropical, here's what you need to know:
They do need to be scarified. I used sandpaper. I found that scratching off the dark brown layer to the lighter brown underlayer gave better results than exposing the white seed inside. (For that reason, I suspect "nipping" might cut too deep.)
Then I soaked them in warm water. If they sank to the bottom in a day or two, I would plant them, and nearly all would be up in another 4 to 7 days. The warm water soak isn't required - I just wanted to avoid wasting potting soil and effort on the floaters, which rarely ever germinate.
The key is to keep them really wet before and after germination. Their ancestors are known as Swamp Mallows for good reason.
Post photos of your results, please!
