[gbell12]

Have you ever seen them work, or seen data on them? I've never had them work, and they don't seem like they would either - bunch of seeds landing in a ball together would lead to too much competition, right? That is, if they didn't sprout while the ball initially dried.

[hinkley]

I think the temptation is to put too many seeds into the mix, creating the problem you identified. When you broadcast seeds you want a certain number of pounds per thousand square feet and instead you have a ball that will cover a few square inches. You aren’t trying to fill an empty lot, you’re trying to get a few self-seeding plants established.

I did some in a couple places where I no longer went, so I have no idea what happened to them, and unfortunately the spot where they seemed to work got turned into a building the very next year. I’m in areas with low clay content in the soils so it’s difficult to source materials without buying them.