Thank you T2D2 for the update. Please accept my apology because I had forgotten that I talked to you last fall. Talk to so many people about the trees/seedlings hard to keep track of everyone.

Always try to keep the end of a short radical pushed into the dirt. Just gently push the radical into the soil. That goes for a nut that's cracked but not yet sent out a radical. A short radical is hard to break. A long radical is fairly easy to break. When I pull nuts out of stratification, if I have a long radical, I'll use a small screwdriver to make a hole in the soil to insert the radical. I would also water the soil around the nut a little while the radical is short or the nut is just cracked. Once the radical starts growing down into a root water from the bottom is all you need. Also once the radical starts growing down into the soil it's alright if you see the top of the radical. Actually with the top of the radical showing that allows the trunk to sprout and grow straight up rather than trying to push through the soil. Hope this all makes sense. Any other questions just ask. Good luck to you.