Pomegranate seeds

I tried planting some of the Russian pomegranate seeds directly in the ground last Fall and didn't get a single seedling. I didn't know if it was the cold or because I dried them before planting. Whatever the case, it was time to try something different. So I put the fresh seeds with any leftover pulp still attached into a zip-lock and let it ferment a couple of days. I then rinsed the rotted pulp off with a kitchen sprayer (in a wire mesh strainer). Back into the bag for a couple more days wet fermenting and another rinse. Yesterday I noticed that one seed had started to split and a root was peeking out, so they all went into potting soil in the basement. I'll let you know how it works this time. Here are the clean wet seeds right before planting.