Well, #1, imagine you were a seed in a time before humans. Oh horrors, no human to cover and protect me. Oh no, what shall I do?

I can imagine you see that plants thrived before humans..and they will continue to. Don't worry unless you planted them on a slope, in which case they may be washed down to the valley. If they need light, covering them won't work, right?

I have the same issue with winter wetness, that's why I sow my seeds in a closed container. As long as I put them in a shady north facing location, they don't get too hot from sun, and being closed, the endless rain doesn't rot them (which is what would happen if I didn't usually). You may have to water them a few times during the winter, because you do need to have a cpl of holes, so some moisture will escape.

That was my original thought, but of course I'd love to improve my chances of germination by protecting the seeds if I could...but in a way that wouldn't impede the light that most of them need to germinate. They aren't planted on a slope...hopefully it will be all right as-is! I'll read about that closed container idea for WS...I felt like I had a lot of drainage holes, but still got terrible seed rot!

Well, it works for me. In fact, I got seed in yesterday from Jelitto, and guess what I'm planning for today. I had a wonderful set of results this past year, whereas the year before I did uncovered and most things just rotted :)

I rarely plant seeds outside and opt for winter sowing. I wonder if a piece of say window screen would allow enough light but protect from rain/birds/chipmunks and even gusty winds. You could weight the corners with bricks or rocks.

the seeds are not going to die.. because they moved in the wind ...

i figure.. they are all just going to pop up somewhere else they touch the soil ... or even worse .. in the lawn ...

meaning.. you are going to have to become an ID wizard ...

glad you are going at it all.. in various methods ... i always suggest to not invest everything in one method .. spread your odds around ...

keep us posted ...

ken

ps: i also pondered that unless you are on some barren prairie.. how much wind is there at soil surface??? .. maybe they wont go anywhere ... do you often lose a lot of soil to the winds???

No barren prairie, thankfully! I've got a line of trees about 20 feet away, but we still get a lot of blustery weather...I actually lost a whole handful of foxglove seeds while planting...will be curious if they come up elsewhere close by! :) I'm definitely trying different methods: DS this fall...DS in the spring...winter sowing...and grow lights. We'll see what works best!