Congratulations, those little brown balls are hibiscus seeds. You might want to check out the seed germination forum for the how-to's since there are many different opinions on how to sow, whether to nick, soak (in water or hydrogen peroxide), using bottom heat to speed up germination, etc. Personally, I nicked the seeds, soaked overnight in Hydrogen Peroxide and used a seedling mat to germinate. I had pretty good success for a newbie.
Here is another opinion from the hib forum:
NCplantsman
Raleigh, NC
(Zone 8b)
August 21, 2006
06:21 PM
Post #2646060
Here is a tip for starting your hib seeds: take about half the seeds you want to plant and store them in a plastic or paper bag in the freezer until late winter/early spring. Sow them in a flat of potting soil cover lightly, water and place the flat in a bright, warm spot. A greenhouse would be ideal, but a sunny window will do too. Warmth is need to get them to germinate and it can up to 30 days or more for a high percentage of the seeds to sprout.
Take the rest of your fresh seeds(this year's crop) and soak them overnight in warm water. Sow them in a seed flat. Cover lightly with potting mix. Cover the containers with some clear plastic or dome cover and keep in a bright, but not direct sun. With warm days and nights(temps above 70 degrees) you should have some seedlings in 7-10 days. The seeds will continue to sprout over the next couple to 3 weeks. Transplant the seedlings once they a set of true leaves. Good luck!
Ray
