Despite the original posters overly extensive post, with certain questionable content, the central point is still quite vaild. We as a nation spend more money on grass than on any other crop. That by itself should be reason enough. Read up on the history of lawns and you'll find that they were orginally created as a means of demonstrating wealth (aka, I have this big area and I can afford to do nothing with it except grow grass I can't eat) Regarding the comments of junegem13 and zachslc, you might want to read up on the legal history of this movement. As it turns out, most weed laws (ones based on hight, not on noxious weeds) are unconstitutional. Nonetheless, if you are in a city or subdivision and decide to do a wildflower meadow where there is not an reasonable ordinance, then you should notify your neighbors and the city about why you are doing and the legal preceedants. The EPA has all this information. Regarding property values, that was the original complaint neighbors made against one landowner when she converted her lawn into meadow. When they were unable to demonstrate an actual decrease in property values, the city ordinance was ruled unconstitutional. Afterwards, the neighbors decided if they couldn't beat her that they'd join her and replace their own yards with meadows. Property values in that one neighborhood are now some of the highest in the city (Specific names and places, are available if you want them). Time and time again, lawn alternatives done correctly have shown to raise values, not lower them. In Charlottesville, VA local government is working on an ammendment to exclude native meadows from our weed ordinance. Other cities are doing the same very quicky, especially since the weed ordinance as written by many localites constitutes a legal liability to local governments.

Northern Indiana here. We're still on the cool side and things haven't really started to wake up. I would say it'll be a couple, few weeks before we have enough growth to mow. I do plan on putting down a pre-emergent early next week to hopefully stop the crabgrass cycle we've had the last couple of years. We have a couple of younger neighbors that don't take very good care of their yards(Not necessarily overgrown but fairly weedy) and don't realize the effect it has on the surrounding yards with the seeds spreading all over. I didn't have a chance to put down a PE last year and it turned into a bad season for the junk. My primary task will be going around and repairing some huge piles that our friendly neighborhood mole has pushed up in multiple spots near sidewalks. The little SOBs better be glad I don't have time to sit around with a pellet gun. I personally am looking forward to it although I probably won't feel that way in the heat of July. It's been a long winter and it'll be good to see things greening up and growing again and besides, my DW bought me a new mower for Christmas and I'm anxious to see how she runs.(The mower, not the DW. :-) )

I think there are a couple of possibilities. Buffalo grass isn't well adapted to the high rainfall you get, so that could have been an issue. It is a very low maintenance grass, and doesn't like much fertilizer, but you fertilized it. I notice that you say that you're going to transplant it into an area with almost full sun. Does that mean that you're transplanting from full sun to almost full or from shady to full sun? If it's in full sun now, leave it, stop fertilizing it, stop watering it. If you planted it in shade, watered and fertilized, I'm not real hopeful, but you may be able to revive it by moving to someplace sunnier. What's the pH of the soil? Buffalo grass does best in neutral to alkaline soils.

Funny you post this because I was just having the same thought with my newly seeded lawn. Yesterday I was admiring the new seedlings and noticed our cherry blossom is just starting to lose it's leaves (I'm in SE PA so likely a bit warmer climate than you). My guess is that while yes it would be better if no leaves were blocking the sunlight, you don't really have much choice as the alternatives are probably worse for the grass. Walking is definitely out of the question as you would probably flatten the blades with little chance of recovery, and the blower would do the same. I'd just leave it alone unless you get an inch of leaves, then you probably have to act. As for the grass growth there's a lot of reasons why this can happen. A localized spot of nutrients (for example the spot where the fertilizer pellet was dropped or a bug died) is a good culprit. Remember the seedlings at start have pretty much a single small root to pull all of the nutrients. During that time if the seedling cannot get all of the nutrients in a proper amount the growth will be stunted until it gains access (a worm/microbe cruises by, you water and some nutrients migrate by the root, etc.). Other simple things like a leaf or piece of straw can block the sunlight to a very small area which could cause the blade to grow slower than one right next to it. And as you mention soil density can hamper or help the growth of a new seedling. You probably don't have to worry about seed to soil contact as that should be pretty uniform using a slitseeder, but it's also possible that some of the tines (or whatever they call them on the slitseeder) may be slightly different and so you get a mosaic on the lawn due to being slightly deeper or shallower. Bottom line is 8 days for just about any grass is nothing to be worried about. If in another week you still see nothing, then it's time to think about maybe overseeding those areas, but for now just relax and enjoy the show!