I garden in CA bay area. We just finished a long remodel during which time, the lawn had not been watered, been trampled upon and is totally compacted with bald patches and dry scrawny grass. We are planning to install new sod and I want to ensure that I do it right to prepare for success with organic practices. I would really appreciate some guidance here.

Soil preparation - from what I have read here, it looks like amending with some protein like alfalfa meal two weeks prior is a good idea. I am also considering using something like root growth enhancer which is an all purpose combination of beneficial fungi like Endomycorrhizae, Ectomycorrhizae and Trichoderma that my local soil place (Lyngso) recommended to help establish the roots. I am confused about removing old sod and tilling and leveling. My landscaper recommends cutting out old sod, tilling the top few inches, adding soil and leveling before sodding to ensure a level lawn. This sounds right but I am not sure if this will cause issues with soil microbes. I do NOT want to end up with a level lawn. When do I add the alfalfa? Ay thoughts on the fungi root enhancer?

Type of Sod My front lawn has a lot of shade especially in summer once the trees leaf out. The back lawn is in Sun. The main sod company here is Delta and I am considering their shade blend for the front lawn and the Bolero plus. Any feedback on the sod choice?

post installation of sod I was planning to feed with "BioTurf" from Down to Earth that is a 8-3-5 fertilizer with ingredients including Alfalfa Meal, Feather Meal, Fish Bone Meal, Hydrolyzed Fish, Acadian Kelp Meal, Sulfate of Potash and Dolomitic Lime. I thought this might be useful until I start the compost, alfalfa regimen.

Please share your thoughts and advice.