Japanese White Bark Beech - from seed?

[arbuscula]

Hopefully 'Other deciduous' is the correct forum for this?

Looking very much for advice from other members who have experience of Japanese White Bark Beech

Question: How best to germinate Japanese White Bark Beech from seed?

Why? Because, late '23~early '24, I bought some seed, stratified in the fridge and planted up in a mix of seed/cutting compost, vermiculite and small particles of molar clay.

Of the 217 seeds/nuts only 1 has germinated.

Today I decided to check the seed trays for the state of any development of the remaining - zilch! Some (about 5) had disappeared while the remaining ones still had hard outer shells...

I'm now in a quandary as to whether to
1/ resow these as they are?
2/ rough up the edges of the nuts?
3/ pop into the fridge until next year?
4/ do a mix of the above with the 200+ nuts?

Any other suggestions and ALL input appreciated.

Photo of the 1 seedling and the nuts after removal from the trays. NB: 'silvery' pale bits on the nuts sides is from the vermiculite - haven't cleaned off anything yet.

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi,
Old seed could be the culprit, and may never germinate. Another option is to replant, sit outside all summer to get a warm period of their germination process and see if they germinate the following Spring. Or split up the seed in to groups and try everything you are thinking.
Charles

 

[arbuscula]

Hi,
Old seed could be the culprit, and may never germinate. Another option is to replant, sit outside all summer to get a warm period of their germination process and see if they germinate the following Spring. Or split up the seed in to groups and try everything you are thinking.
Charles

Purchased from Heron's Bonsai (you're probably aware of Peter Chan and his Bonsai YouTube videos? ) as freshly harvested seed so not old seed... well, hopefully not. He/they didn't have any for sale the previous year.

A 'warm' period here in the UK would certainly be appreciated... just seems to have been a very long wet cold spell since last September.

Appreciate your input and suggestions along the same lines as mine

 

[arbuscula]

Hi,
Old seed could be the culprit, and may never germinate. Another option is to replant, sit outside all summer to get a warm period of their germination process and see if they germinate the following Spring. Or split up the seed in to groups and try everything you are thinking.
Charles

Just to update you @KiwiPlantGuy ... opened some of those pods - dead seeds... planted some in pots to give more time, covered and checked over the last couple of weeks... nothing. So... just the one going forward.