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In the sagebrush-steppe ecosystems of North America, dispersal may be a key driver of plant community assembly, especially as it relates to restoring native species in areas dominated by annual grasses. Traits that influence the timing and frequency of dispersal can control establishment and population dynamics by allowing species to avoid or capture resources as they become available during germination, emergence, and growth. We hypothesized that that dispersal timing and frequency interacts with water availability to influence species emergence. We evaluated the effects of dispersal timing, frequency, and watering on desired and annual grasses seeded at various densities in the fall of 2011. Annual grasses were seeded either simultaneously with perennials in the fall or annual grass seeding was delayed until the spring of 2012. The frequency of perennial grass seeding was altered by either spring or fall seeding or