| You need to break through the hard, waterproof outer layer of the seed coat, to allow absorption of water by the embryo. There are several ways: you can nick each seed with a knife, or (easier) rub briefly between sheets of sandpaper; then soak for at least half a day in water (lukewarm to start with), when you should see the seeds swell in size. Then plant. Alternatively you can pour boiling water over the seeds, but it must be sufficiently shallow that it cools in only 5-10 minutes, otherwise you will boil and hence kill the embryo. Some people go further and light a fire of dead leaves over their seeds, but this a bit risky and should not be necessary. If you have enough seeds there is no harm in trying several approaches, to see which one works best. If all else fails, you can experiment with smoke water. Try a Google search on, say, 'smoke' and 'germination' together and you should find heaps of information. | 
