Question
I am the guy who rolled and rolled my top soil. It's been 2 weeks since I planted my new lawn. It is looking pretty good. It's almost 2" and is filling in nice. It's my front yard and is narrow so I was able to throw humus/manure mixture lightly across it. We had heavy rain for a few days last week so it moved around quite a bit. Should I just leave it alone and wait for spring? You scared me when you said not to expect green right away and that you doubt I can have a lawn on this compacted soil. I would like to know more about the alfalfa. How do I apply it and what's its function? You have been helpful and it is appreciated.

Michael from Jersey

Answer
I love it when people write to tell me how great their Lawn is looking.  Remember, this is a website for problems -- so the occasional success story is really encouraging and I want to thank you for letting me know how well things are going.

Alfalfa is not something you would want to put down now that you have Grass.  Compact Soil is a problem for many reasons, but there are other ways to skin that cat.  The traditional, mechanical way is to aerate.  That's not my preferred system because it interferes with the life in the Soil and breaks up the web of mycorrhizal hyphae -- say that 3 times fast and I'll send you a hundred bucks.

Your new Grass roots need somewhere to go.  Perhaps your 'compacted Soil' is not as bad as you think.  That Humus/Manure top dressing you gave it is an excellent soil conditioner.  A boost of organic matter is just what the doctor ordered for building up your soil structure -- a Teaspoon of rich, fortified soil holds between 100 million and a BILLION bacteria.  You want to encourage growth of soil microbes down there; you need those Nitrifying Bacteria to break down decomposing stems and roots, converting Organic Nitrogen into Nitrate, at a rate that changes with the temperature and natural pH.  And that Humus/Manure dose will work Like clockwork. Your hard work will surely pay off come Spring.

This is the weather that Cool Season Grass loves to grow in.  There's no competition from Weeds, the soil is reasonably warm and the Sun is not baking-down hot. the chlorophyll is at the top of its game.  

For future reference, 'Green Manure' -- a term for plants in the Legumes family -- fortifies your soil with incredible doses of usable Nitrogen. Alfalfa. Wheat. Vetch. Peas. Rye.  Clover.  These plants actually MANUFACTURE Nitrogen out of thin air!  And if there's anything you need to grow healthy Grass, it's Nitrogen.  These are usually grown during the summer, then tilled in before they reach maturity.  Even better, the roots of some Green Manures -- Alfalfa is on that short list -- draw nutrients UP toward the soil surface and make them available for your shallow-rooted Lawngrass.  At that point, you can count on having the richest, most fertile soil in town.

I must point out that lots of people expect things to work very quickly outside, and so I tend to sound a little (too?) cautious.  I didn't mean to scare you.  If you have any questions, I'm glad to answer them.  Good luck with your wonderful Lawn.