Heat, heat and more heat is needed for most palm seed to germinate. Bottom heat is more than sufficient (you don't have to heat the whole house to 90 F.). I would assume bottom heat would even make a difference for the more temperate species (e.g., Trachycarpus sp.). I have successfully managed to nick the seed coats of even very hard seeds with a nail clipper. I never tried to nick the seed coat of palm seeds. If you do, I would only nick a tiny portion of the seed coat and NOT remove the entire seed coat. Still, I think bottom heat will dramatically increase your success with germinating the palm seeds. Good luck!

If you have a dremel tool with a sanding pad or cutting wheel,just nick it a little enough that water can penetrate.

Or a rotary grinder will work.

Ok guys...d/h has a 2ft circular saw...will that work??!!
Will have a go with the sanders if I can't get the nail clippers into them. Plan to put them in the airing cupboard (where the hot water cylinder lives) air temp varies between 20-25f, but on top of a pipe it can get a lot warmer...that's where I got the others to germinate.
Have read about plucking the 'eyes' out of coconuts etc and on looking closer can see these eyes on some but obviously as they are so small in comparison to a coconut that is hopeless, not that I would know how to do it anyway. Guess these eyes are the seeds weakest spot to allow hard shelled seeds to push the radicle out? Anyone done that? Thanks.
Gill.

Go with the sander,wouldn't want you to lose a few fingers!!!

fingers!...more like I might loose my arm!

Gill,
Whats the weather like over there,normal or not?

Hi Gill. My robusta seeds are finally starting to germinate. They all have a little sprout about a centimeter long. Finally!

Dbrya, hello there, (sorry I don't know your name)
Mmmmmh the weather is normal over here...C--P! Have managed to get into +degC today but been thick with fog, a real pea-souper! For the past few days we have been -degC so I suppose today was a refreshing change! Yesterdays washing stood up all on its own when we got back from the shops, it had frozen solid, was stuck to the line and I had to bend it over my arm to get it to fold up! Only had one light snowfall in mid Nov so far, was all gone the next day, we get no where near as much as we used to get. The days of snowploughs digging the village out have gone now, thank goodness.

Josh...pleased to learn your seeds have at last germinated for you, great news! Mine all came up and seem to be growing at quite a fast rate, (which I like!), and are now already 4cms high. They were planted on 23rd Nov and showed above the soil on 3rd Dec. The leaves are beginning to 'flatten out' on many rather than just being like a 'spike'. Mine get bottom heat from the hood of the tropical fish tank and extra light from a wall light above them and I'm sure this is helping them and they have now turned a lovely bright green. Soon I guess I will have to transplant them into something deeper than the take away box to give the roots a better chance. Don't think there will be room on the trop tank for 20 extra size yoghurt pots though! My 3 batches of seeds I got from eBayUK have now arrived and I have planted a few of each sort. They're in the airing cupboard again, it worked a treat last time, they are Trachycarpus Fortunei, Butia Capitata and Sabal Minor....what the heck am I going to do with them all if they get going too?! Also have a load more from our Nov holiday in Costa del Sol to plant up when I retrieve them from our rellies who we went with. Would have had some more of a different palm but a passing dog watered them before we got to pick them up!! Keep me posted on the progress of the Washys please, it will be an interesting comparison.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
Gill.

Gill,
My name is Don,just a few more tips,the tops of refrigerators
and freezers are nice warm areas to put your new potted up seeds to germinate,as well as a hot water tank.
Looks like we got a foot of snow this morning,hard to tell for a lot of blowing wind also!
I soak my seeds in hydrogen peroxide over nite,seems to work better than just water,also seems to cut down on damping off.