Should I Cover My Recently Planted Seed??

We get this question often. It’s definitely a good thought, and here’s what we have to say about it.

There is no sure way to eliminate all risk when planting anything. You could have a flood that washes your seed away. You could have a drought that keeps your seeds from sprouting. You could have a bird come along and eat most of them. There all sorts of things that could go wrong with any form of plant growth.

Typically, when covering seeds, people are talking about wind and moisture. Some worry that the wind will blow the seeds away. Others are hoping that covering the ground will help keep the moisture in.

For the wind aspect, if you have a very small area, then it won’t hurt to water the seeds after planting then cover them with boards or a tarp. However, if you plant in the fall, it’s better to just plant right before it snows. That way, when the snow melts it can pull the seed into the ground. If you have a larger area to cover, we don’t recommend worrying about it. Chances are the seed will be fine from wind and seed-ivores. On the small chance (less than 1%) it blows some of the seed away (we’ve never seen it blow all the seed away) then we recommend just reseeding the next year or two. It is a risk, but there’s risk in all agriculture, gardening, and life. And at times, our ruthless elimination of risk has led to shortcuts that should never have been taken.

When it comes to moisture, we wouldn’t worry about it. The first inch of soil is the most heavily affected by the sun, so even if the top of the ground feels dry, it doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of moisture on the ground.

So when if you are asking for a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ then we recommend ‘no’. But if you have a small area, then it wouldn’t hurt to cover the seed until the next snow or rain.

Hopefully, this answered your question. If you’re feeling anxiety from your seed not being successful, take a deep breath and remember that is a wonderful part of life that makes success even more fruitful.

Best of luck with your garden endeavors! And if you’re looking for any native mixes, check it out on our Prairie Shop.