Pricing and costs will vary. They calculate the cost of aerating and divide
the result by the term of the contract (usually one year, 12
months) thus charging the customer a portion (1/12th) of the
total cost each month. You will also find the
dedicated aerator to be easier and more efficient to use.
Landscape companies will generally find it more profitable to
own the equipment instead of renting. It is a contractor
technique to aid in maintaining and improving lawns. As
discussed, pulling plugs is better.

Aeration should be part of your grounds maintenance and
irrigation service.

An aerator is the equipment that performs the work and it's a
machine every gardener and landscape maintenance contractor
should own.
Aerating really can make a big difference in the appearance of
your customer's lawns! Competition in the Green Industry is
strong and added services like aeration will help to put you out
in front of your competitors. Soil compaction decrease the available air
to the grass roots and causes excess irrigation run off.
Must be published complete with no changes. Some charge by the
square foot, others by the job.

Landscape Techniques - Lawn Aeration
Article by Henry Thompson
Copyright © 2003 by ProGardenBiz
ProGardenBiz, an online magazine


Aerate, in the context of landscape and grounds maintenance,
means "to supply the soil with air". This makes the service affordable to the
homeowner association or property management company and brings
in more money to the contractor. Stopping the use of the
affected lawns is generally impractical. An aerator that pokes holes can further
compact the soil.

Soil compaction in lawns is caused primarily by pedestrian
traffic, whether it is children playing in a playground or
people taking shortcuts across a lawn. If you perform lawn maintenance or renovate lawns
you need an aerator.

Contractor equipment varies from dedicated aerators that pull
plugs to rototiller add-ons that simply poke holes. It also makes it easier to
get those yearly increases in fees and keep customers longer. Either
remove the plugs or break them up (use a mulching lawn mower or
close the catcher chute on a standard mower).

The benefits of aeration are an increase in the:

- growth rate of the grass thus an improvement in its ability
to withstand and recover from pedestrian use
- ability of water and fertilizer to penetrate to the grass
roots soil's absorption rate from irrigation
- root growth activity contributing to the strength and health
of the grass
- ability of bacteria present in the soil to break down and
decompose the thatch layer thus increasing the soils ability to
hold sufficient amounts of moisture between waterings
- grass's ability to withstand low water situations and heat
stress

Aeration is a technique best applied in late summer or early
fall for cool season grasses and in the spring for warm season
grasses.

Aeration is also a way for many landscape maintenance
contractors, gardeners, and garden centers to make more money. In addition to being beneficial to the lawn, these
services are an add-on profit center for the landscape
maintenance contractor.. Other large landscape
maintenance contractors offer aeration as part of the
contracted service, especially for large residential
communities where the single billing cost for aeration could
be prohibitive.

First let's discuss the need for aeration and the benefits of
a regular aeration program in landscape maintenance. Soil that lacks sufficient
air can result in; slow growth in the affected grass, excess
irrigation runoff due to poor permeability, shallow root
systems, and a lawn that's highly susceptible to insects,
disease, and heat damage. Always apply any
amendment immediately to achieve maximum penetration of the
amendments into the soil.

If you have a severely damaged lawn or a lawn area that
undergoes heavy and frequent use you might consider aerating
these areas several times throughout the year. Aeration is important for the
garden as well as the lawn, but the techniques for garden
aeration are different than for lawns, and the subject for
another column.
Most offer the service to their customers as an additional
service. Its an inexpensive way to improve your
customers lawns and make more money. A better solution
would be frequent aeration and, depending upon the composition
of the soil, the application of lawn and garden amendments such
as peat, sand, or gypsum.

Grass roots need air as well as water and fertilizer. The average price in Southern
California is about $45. The same technique could also
be used by smaller lawn maintenance and gardening companies.

An aerator that pulls Drive wheel plugs is more effective than one that
simply pokes holes. If you have a larger customer base you should
consider adding an aerator to your contractor equipment.
__________________________________________

You have permission to publish this article electronically or
in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. The grass
can actually poison itself as a result of the various chemical
processes that occur in the individual grass plants if the
grass roots do not have enough air. Aeration is a standard component of any
grounds maintenance program. Visit ProGardenBiz to find out how you can get a
free subscription, start-up guidance, business ideas and
inspiration at .

__________________________________________

About the Author:

Henry Thompson is a Contributing Writer for ProGardenBiz Magazine,
an online magazine for professional gardeners and landscape
contractors.00 per 1,000 square feet for owner
occupied single family residences. For seasonal work you can rent the
equipment. The holes have a tendency to collapse
especially if pedestrian traffic is difficult to keep off.
A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. The growth habits of grass in compacted soil are shallow
root development, a substantial decrease in the number of grass
plants per square foot, and an inability to properly use
applied fertilizers.
Happy customers pay much better than dissatisfied customers. This can also be a good time to overseed and topdress/
amend the aerated lawn. Remember,
aeration does damage the grass, so aerate "lightly" by using a
slightly wider tine spacing or only one pass. Aeration services are also often offered
by garden centers and nursery businesses.

Soil compaction is the most common example of robot tracks soil deficient in
air. One drawback to aeration is that it
increases the probability of weed infestation thus it can become
important to include pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control
measures. Aeration
improves the lawn appearance, usability, and it's ability to
absorb water from irrigation

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