It takes more than a good mower, an edger, a trimmer and a few hand tools to have a beautiful and healthy lawn season after season. Aeration is essential to a healthy lawn, too, because thatch (the buildup of dead grass, cuttings and leaves) chokes topsoil, preventing proper air circulation and stopping water and nutrients from reaching the roots.

The result is an environment in which diseases can start and spread. This is where the rental center comes to the rescue. One or more of these machines will be the answer, after you hear the details of the customer's situation:

• power rakes - rotating tines that dig into grass and turf, raking out thatch in the process;
• vertical cutting machines - rotating steel blades that make vertical cuts or slices into turf to break up compacted soils and improve aeration;
• core-plugging equipment that removes small-diameter plugs, to help water and nutrients get to the grass roots.

Aeration equipment ranges from compact, self-contained models to larger equipment towed by tractors. Capacity is measured in swath width, number of vertical cutting blades and the pattern and number of slices or plugs per square foot.

Compact models popular for homeowner rentals produce swaths 14 to 24 inches wide. Swath widths of larger attachment equipment may go up to 64 inches.

Because most root structures are from 1 to 134 inches deep, depths of 2 to 212 inches are sufficient for most applications.

High-quality aeration equipment costs more than most homeowners are willing to invest for something they likely will use only twice a year. Compact, self-powered machines are perfect for property owners who want to care for their lawns in a professional manner without paying professional fees for it. Aerating an average-size lawn can be completed during a relatively short rental period.

Lawn-care specialists and landscape contractors also rent turf aeration equipment. The attachment versions powered by other equipment can cover larger areas and are popular with contractor customers.

Many professionals rent rather than purchase this seasonal equipment. Lawn care specialists just going into business and those who operate part-time lawn care services also find renting more cost-effective than buying.

Contractors who own their own equipment often turn to rental centers during peak work periods and when their own machines are in the shop.

Professional customers aren't just contractors. Country clubs, golf courses and other sports facilities, park departments, landscape departments of schools, residential complexes and business campuses, and other private and public organizations use aeration equipment.

"Rental stores should consider targeting traditional mowing companies who may be interested in generating revenue by offering new speciality services," says Richard Cornelius of BlueBird International in Englewood, Colo.

Rental center personnel should be sure to give the customer complete operational instructions, including safety procedures, recommended by equipment manufacturers. "Safety must be our top priority," says Terry Fuller, Power Trac, Tazewell, Va. "Each attachment and machine is different and requires individual instruction."

Remind customers to clean work areas of rocks, tree limbs and other objects that could become caught in blades or tines. Mark the sprinkler heads of underground irrigation systems so they can be avoided.

"Disengage tines and blades when moving equipment across paved driveways and sidewalks," says Roland Hofferber, Roland Products, Hastings, Neb.

"Inexperienced customers should practice using equipment in an open area to get the feel of how equipment works," suggests Larry Classen, Larry Classen Manufacturing Co., Norfolk, Neb. "Make sure the customer knows how to stop equipment in case of an emergency."

For attachment equipment operated off a host vehicle, operator and safety training must include that vehicle as well as the attachment, says Michelle Jimenez, The McMillen Division, States Engineering Corp., Fort Wayne, Ind.

Whatever the equipment, provide operating manuals with every rental. Pamphlets, operating tips and instructional video presentations are useful training aids. Many manufacturers also publish interesting and helpful brochures on turf maintenance.

"To ensure thorough aeration, experts recommend at least nine hole plugs per square foot," says Robert Brophy of Turfco Manufacturing Co. in Minneapolis. "In some clays and densely compacted soils, as many as 16 holes per square foot may be necessary. This may require going over a yard several times."

Promote aeration equipment in advance of seasonal demands. (The best times for aerating lawns vary with climate and type of grass.) Advertising and direct mail are good ways to reach both homeowners and commercial prospects. Displays of equipment in highly visible locations make customers aware of the many solutions you have to offer.

Customers often need more than they came in for - grass seed and fertilizer (rent them the spreader), rakes and other hand tools - and if they rent something big, rent them trailers, too.

"Safety glasses, disposable dust masks, garden gloves, stakes for marking the location of sprinkler heads and bags for thatch collection are good sales items," says Bluebird's Cornelius. "Power vacuums to collect thatch and debris are good rental items to suggest."

"Attachment box-type power rakes are excellent for trench restoration and athletic field conditioning," says Mike McPherson, Glenmac, Jamestown, N.D. "They can remove old lawns by windrowing unwanted sod to the side, or with the roller in a fixed, straight position."

And don't forget hand rollers, says Scott Whitehouse of Brinly-Hardy Co. in Louisville, Ky. They're great for small areas, and not hard for a homeowner to transport.