Question
We have a similar situation as what was posted on http://en.allexperts.com/q/Lawns-725/Lime-Application.htm: low pH/clay soil, it's June and so too late for laying grass seed in Richmond, Va. We are interested in trying out the alfalfa recommendation, but are a little concern. Since alfalfa is a perennial and with deep root system, wouldn't it be difficult to get rid of it? What kind of care do we need to provide for the alfalfa. We searched the Internet and did not find much information on this.

Has anyone had success in using alfalfa to condition their soil?

Please help.

Mia  

Answer
Has anyone had success using Alfalfa to condition their soil?

You mean to direct this to the AllExperts reading community, yes?  Because Alfalfa is world famous as a soil conditioner -- that's why I bring it up.

Any Farmer will praise its benefits as a Green Manure/Cover Crop.

Here's how it works, and then maybe you'll see how we treat it at the end: Take a blank piece of soil, which is basically a sign to weed seeds, Please grow here!  Instead, you plant Alfalfa.  And you know by the all the wonderful things Alfalfa does.  You let the Alfalfa grow until it's time to plant your Crop -- in your case, Grass seed.

You mow it and you can leave the clippings on the Lawn knowing these are not weeds, these are Alfalfa shoots.  Rain moistens them; they begin to decompose.  The Roots of the plants are still working your soil.

Toward the END of the Summer, you INCORPORATE THE ALFALFA PLANTS INTO THE SOIL.  You work them in with a pitchfork, which is the old fashioned way.  Or you hire someone with a Rototiller.  Or you rent a Rototiller.  Pitchfork is actually best, because it gives you so much control over the turning.  You don't want to pulverize your soil.  You just want to turn the Alfalfa.  If you can, and if your soil test does not indicate you have high levels of Phosphorous, you include some Manure in that exercise, spread it on top and it gets worked into the soil with your Alfalfa.  If you have high Phosphorous, you just use something else.  There's no such thing as too much Organic Nitrogen.  It does not stick around long enough to build up.

Now you rake, remove stones and miscellaneous chunks of whatever, and you are ready to seed your Grass.

Having tilled, it is also a good idea to water your Grass seed with Compost Tea.  This will reinnoculate your soil with Fungi and repair any damage you did by working the soil.

In your case, you also want to mix in some Pelletized Lime.  But you should Lime right now, before or after your Alfalfa goes down, and get the pH ball rolling.

Talk to a farmer.  You need a better comfort level with this.  If it was on TV like Scotts commercials at Superbowl half time, you would be trouble free.  Most of America is still growing their Lawns the old fashioned way.  You'll be setting the gold standard in your neighborhood if you get this right.  So find a farmer to talk to, in person, so you are more comfortable with it.  This is easy, but it's a new concept to almost everyone.  Very different world we live in today.  Long ago, everybody did this.  It's like riding the bus, Mia.  One trip, and you'll wonder what you were worried about.

Keep me posted.  Any more questions, I'm here.