How should I sow bulk seed on sun-baked concrete-like bare desert ground?

Question

I feel like every time I sow seed, the germination rate is really poor.

I live in an extremely challenging climate, with 7" of annual rain, dry and windy springs, scorching desert summers, freezing winters, and concrete-like bare earth that I'm desperately trying to cover in something. Here are the methods I've tried over the past three years:

• Throw seeds on bare earth (0% germination, seeds wasted)
• Throw seeds on bare earth, then cover with 1/2" of mulch (mulch blows away; 0% germination, seeds wasted)
• Throw seeds on bare earth, then cover with 1" of mulch (maybe 1% germination; most shoots can't penetrate the kind of heavy wood mulch that won't blow away in high wind)
• Throw seeds on top of purchased compost or topsoil (maybe 5% germination)
• Throw seeds on bare earth, then cover to maybe 1/8" with purchased compost or topsoil (seems like maybe 20% germination)
• Throw seeds on bare earth, then cover with a lot of topsoil (maybe 20% germination, and costs a lot of money in compost or topsoil)
• Mix seeds into purchased compost or topsoil and spread that around (seems like > 25% germination, but extremely labor-intensive and expensive)

As for what I'm seeding, it's all climate-appropriate tough native plants or introduced drought-hardy plants. Examples include Western Wheatgrass, Siberian Wheatgrass, Blue Grama Grass, Curly Mesquite grass, Purslane, and American Vetch. Some of these are not cheap, so the low germination rate is disappointing. When I do manage to get them to grow, they perform as expected and need no irrigation once established.

I'm seeding in the spring or fall, and where I can, I water daily to keep the top inch or two moist while I'm trying to germinate them. Still, the results aren't great, especially in my very large backyard where I can't feasibly water. Is there some trick I'm missing?

Edit: my goal is not to grow a lawn or anything silly like that, but to return the land to its native state: a scrubby high desert rangeland that looks more or less like this:

Answer 1

You can germinate the seeds in a tray/box/container and when the seedlings are grown enough to be able to use their roots, plant them where desired. The downside of this method is that it requires more time and effort to transplant the seedlings than to sow them.

Answer 2

I just answered the question posted above your question. I would quit trying to grow a lawn and think about the gravel instead. Where you want plants you need to make raised beds by double digging your soil, planting in that instead of hard baked ground. The water will be able to penetrate and be absorbed by the soil, drain better and have more air that roots need to have to grow deep to go after the moisture as the top of the soil dries out. After plants are planted and watered deeply then you mulch a good 2 inches. Forget trying to grow anything via seed. Water the beds deeply only after the top 2 inches dries out. Do not water shallowly and everyday. That only encourages shallow roots that make the plants very sensitive to missing a watering. Allowing to dry out encourages the roots to grow deep so they are able to get the moisture that is still there (4-6" deep). Shallow watering also is wasteful in the desert. Heat will cause fast evaporation at the top of the soil causing you to constantly water. Deep watering working up to once per week or 1" water per week is a lot less water than what what you have been using.

Have you tried using sod? Are you in Arizona? Check the pictures I'll send you as well for an idea to consider.