Well, a lot of weed seeds got added to my soil bank that year, especially black medic and dandelion. Black medic germinates the most three years after getting into the soil, so I have rampant medic everywhere this year. I'm literally beginning to get carpal tunnel syndrome from all the hours of weeding, and yet all the weeds are back in a few weeks. I think almost all of the new ones were already in the soil below the mulch, not seeds that blew in later on top of the mulch.

Obviously I need to change my strategy, which had involved direct sowing seeds. I sowed 15,000 lupine seeds in 2012, which did so well that there's a lupine about every square foot now. In May and November of 2013, and April and September of 2014 (got my seeds in the fridge now), I sowed about 1.5 million of about 130 different species, which did terribly. They did pretty well in a two-foot wide ring around the vegie garden, but did almost nothing when in competition with the lupines and weeds in the flower beds. I had been leaving the native soil bare so that they could germinate. Many were native wildflowers, which can take a long time.

Now I'm using partially composted pine bark fines ("Soil Pep") for mulch, and I've found it completely ineffective in the amounts I've been using: half inch, inch, inch and a half do nothing. So now I'm trying two inches, and if I have to I'll try two and a half or three inches. Anything to keep from being permanently disabled and unable to work for the next ten years because of these weeds.

So after I finally (fingers crossed) get the weed situation more under control, how would I direct sow seeds? Or should I just give up on ever direct sowing again? Could I sprinkle a little compost mixed with sphagnum moss on top of the mulch and sow? For what it's worth, I sowed the lupine seeds half an inch directly into 100% Soil Pep and they germinated really well if they didn't dry out. Now they've become almost like weeds that I have to deadhead to keep them from reseeding so much.

I would really appreciate some feedback and advice on direct sowing. I've done a lot of research, on GardenWeb forums, elsewhere on the web, and in books. I've found very little information on large-scale direct sowing, especially regarding weed control.

If there is a simple way to do this, I sure want to hear it. Last year I planted starts of cone flowers on a embankment that is impossible to mow. I planted well over 300 starts and then mulched with hay. They all grew up and the hill looked gorgeous until recently when lamb's quarters and goldenrod started appearing in and among them. I can't get them out because the grade is way too steep for my knees.

It looks like getting the weeds under control is not an easy task, but it is possible if you have the time and determination.

Kevin