Over the last few days I have kept sifting and re-amending old potting soil from grow bags. Some is rebuilt for reuse in bags; the rest went into the brick planters along the fence.
In those planters, I buried a few pockets of kitchen scraps to feed worms and microbes so they cycle nutrients back into the soil.
I also core-aerated compacted areas in the backyard. After 25 years of sod over sandy loam, likely little prep after construction, frequent summer irrigation, and short mowing, compaction is not surprising. That is standard practice here and it favors speed and cost, not long-term soil structure.
If I want a healthier lawn now, it will take time. From what I have read, core aeration once a year is typical; twice can help on heavily compacted soil, but more than that rarely adds benefit. I used a manual 4 inch core tool instead of a machine. (A spike aerator would not relieve compaction long term, but this one removes plugs.) I backfilled some holes with an 80/20 compost-pumice mix and left others open.
The seedlings are growing fast after potting up. Basil and parsley are close behind. Jalapenos and Desert Willow have not emerged yet.