Of course! With the seeds being surrounded by the mudball's moisture and nutrients it will have a starting boost when growing in that harsh land. Since what he initially did was planting the foreign seeds directly without sufficient nutrients, despite using fertilizers, the seeds would dry out immediately due to the extreme heat of the land. Again, with the extra moisture from the mudball, it prevented the seed from dehydrating and supported its growth to the point where it'll be big enough to handle the harsh land.