Any chance you could describe your seed source and germinating procedure?
I tried several sources and ways to get germination, I had very poor results and assumed it was just a sea buckthorn thing.
Out of the plants I had grow, they remained small for awhile, I'd pot them up and
be nice to them for a summer. I would be careful potting them up to that long stem, I had some issues with damping off kill a few of mine.
Good luck!