On the list of soil particle size silt falls way below sand but above clay in size and shape and silt does not bond together quite as tightly as clay does. Plunking down compost on top of your soil most likely will be the best thing you can do. Understand that the 1/4 to 1/2 inch of compost you can put down each year isn't much at one time but over time it will make a large difference in your soil and any grass growing there. I'm not all that sure that cutting grass is really short is all that beneficial.

@kimmsr: I would cut the grass to 3cm only to more easily spread the compost. Of course I would like to let it come up later on to the usual 6-7cm.
Does the regular compost tea give good benefits to soil building ?

I don't see any benefit to using compost if you are going to use compost tea later anyway. Compost costs a lot more and is much harder to apply. So I would not cut the grass any lower than your mower's highest setting. Can you go to 9 cm or higher?

Remember that overseeding now is the wrong time of year. Your new grass will not have time to develop good roots before the summer heat hits. If you do it now, which you probably should, you will have to do it again in the fall to have a nice lawn next summer.

I think the alfalfa will do a lot more for your soil and plant health than the compost. As for weeds, infrequent watering and mowing high are the solution for that.

I would use compost now. Addition of bulk organic material like that will change your soil structure and it's drainage/water holding capacity. I don't believe that compost tea does the same thing (it does add nutrients). Alfalfa meal is good stuff- especially for a small area, but it gets expensive to apply several times a year to a larger area. You have the application rate down right.

I don't know what the right time to seed grass is in your part of France, or what type of grass you will sow. Those are factors to know before deciding when to sow grass (there are general rules here about sowing in the fall- but some grasses like the spring better, and some areas like spring sowing better as well. The only things I know about France are Edith Piaf, Tati Danielle and Beaujolais). Again, however, for a smallish yard area- it will be cheap to get a good bag of seed and throw some down even once a month before a rainy period.

Hi & thanks for answering,

actually for 8 tons of compost I have to pay ~ 230 USD delivery included. Now, given the fact that we would like to stay in that house/garden for a longer time I will take that cost if it really helps my soil/lawn. My garden is ~800 squaremeters. I bought Alfafapellets for 10 USD the bag of 25 kg.
Actually people prefer to seed now over here then in late summer/fall. Our summer is not that hot that it would kill the lawn. I managed to seed and grow my lawn in June last year and it survived,,,,,

Highest setting of my mower is 10 cm. But I fear that is too high to still have the kids play on that lawn,,,,

@Pablo: I see you are a "conaisseur" ;-) Even if we have finer stuff around then the Beaujolais

LOL- I'm not picky, but I know what I like if you get me. Beaujolais is usually refreshing and sweet (if you get it open in time). Never kicked a red Bordeaux out of bed, however... or even a shiraz from Australia...

Living in France and as well close to the german border has real advantages......great wine and great beer ;-)

The disadvantage of following this forum and being a European though is that my neighbours think I go crazy when I throw Alfafapellets on my lawn,,,,,,,,,,

10 centimeters, about 4 inches, is what I aim for when cutting my grass and that is not too long. At that height your grass will be better able to withstand the hard pounding the kids will deliver to the turf.

The disadvantage of following this forum and being a European though is that my neighbours think I go crazy when I throw Alfafapellets on my lawn

So do mine. And so does my wife, although she approved the recent pelting of some new plants with the little guys.

The tradeoff I make living in NH- the wine is all imported, but we have great beer and my neighbors don't care what I do. As long as the screaming and power tools aren't too loud at night- all is kosher pickle.

Hey- everything composts better in smaller pieces.

Pablo, New Hamshire is a new appellation, but they are in the winegrape game too. ;-)

New Hamshire and Wine

Nancy, fascinated lurker

England has cowboys, too- but nobody's counting- LOL

Reality says you need both the compost, to add organic matter to your soil, and the compost tea, which will distribute the necessary microbes quicker. If I could only use one I would choose compost over the tea since the compost will improve the soil and eventually will allow the Soil Food Web to establish itself. But the compost tea will not add enough organic matter to the soil.

Throw down compost- tea will leach out of it in the first rain.

Hi,

I am somewhat dissapointed today,,,,,
I got my compost delivered and generally the quality seems fine. Inside of the 10 tons pile its really warm. When I showel it into my wheelbarrow it´s steaming. It smells as well "good". BUT,,,,,,, I have a problem with bringig it to my lawn,,,,,, there is pieces of roots, wood, bark in the compost which are apparentely still worked by bacteria and fungi. Those pieces are warm as well and feel soft. But if I bring this on my lawn , the wood-pieces will stay on top of the turf and only smallest pieces sink onto the soil. Even if I brush it in different directions, back and forward.....

What can I do?
Leave the compost on a pile until the wood decomposes further ? Or "filter" the bigger pieces from the smaller ones (lots of work probably). My father in law opts for anyhow throwing the compost to the lawn,,,,,,,,, but its not him that is going to ruin his new lawn-mower cutting bark, wood and roots with the next lawnmowing....

Any info welcome,,,,

Thanks & a nice weekend,,,,,

If it's hot, then it's not done. Let it finish and some chunks will be reduced a bit. There shouldn't be many chunks of anything in it- maybe a few.

Hi,

as I received 10 tons instead of 8 and the pile was to big to keep it where the truck dumped it (the compost was sliding onto the street) I dispatched it to 4 smaller piles in the backyard so it can continue working a bit there,,,,,,

What was left I dumped in a shredder so I had very fine material that I can easily brush into the lawn. Probably less helpfull to the lawn than really "done" compost but I did not have anymore space to stock it,,,,,,,,
Hope that it still improves that damn hard slick soil now,,,,

Unfinished compost is fine for this sort of stuff- no worries. If you have access to a plug aerator- aerating first really helps the compost get down into the soil.