Aerate, in context of landscape and grounds maintenance, means "to supply soil with air". It is a contractor technique to aid in maintaining and improving lawns. Aeration improves lawn appearance, usability, and it's ability to absorb water from irrigation. Aeration is important for garden as well as lawn, but techniques for garden aeration are different than for lawns, and subject for another column.

An aerator is equipment that performs work and it's a machine every gardener and landscape maintenance contractor should own. If you perform lawn maintenance or renovate lawns you need an aerator. Aeration is a standard component of any grounds maintenance program. For seasonal work you can rent equipment. If you have a larger customer base you should consider adding an aerator to your contractor equipment. Landscape companies will generally find it more profitable to own equipment instead of renting.

First let's discuss need for aeration and benefits of a regular aeration program in landscape maintenance.

Grass roots need air as well as water and fertilizer. The grass can actually poison itself as a result of various chemical processes that occur in individual grass plants if grass roots do not have enough air. Soil that lacks sufficient air can result in; slow growth in 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.

Soil compaction is most common example of soil deficient in air. The growth habits of grass in compacted soil are shallow root development, a substantial decrease in number of grass plants per square foot, and an inability to properly use applied fertilizers.

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. Stopping use of affected lawns is generally impractical. A better solution would be frequent aeration and, depending upon composition of soil, application of lawn and garden amendments such as peat, sand, or gypsum.

The benefits of aeration are an increase in the:

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

In past, MLM has been dismissed by business leaders as an inferior sales distribution channel. Today, Fortune 500 corporations flock to do business through network marketing channels with industry sales approaching $25 billion in US and $100 billion worldwide.

The industry, once tainted by image of hard hitting, face to face salesperson, compelling you with exaggerated promises - is growing up.

Some MLM groups have evolved into sophisticated business systems put together with skills of savvy corporate leaders who have become disillusioned with traditional forms of earning a living.

Here are a few aspects of 'new style' approach to network marketing that is attracting successful business professionals to leave their six figure incomes.

Attractive business model. Network marketing no longer has to rely on a face to face approach to your potential customer. With explosion of internet, business can now be accomplished through effective internet marketing techniques. The internet provides access to potentially millions of people and you do not have to deal with a totally cold prospect. A situation most people actively avoid!

It's now possible to reach a highly targeted audience around world! Better still, it's possible to attract highly targeted traffic to your website who initiate contact with you! Many people see this as a comfortable environment in which to do business because prospect of rejection is significantly reduced.

Enhanced training and communication. New technologies such as voicemail, email, internet, cable TV, videoconferencing and teleconferencing have enabled leaders to provide exceptional training, product knowledge and coaching to a geographically dispersed group. It also has provided a vehicle for business leaders to use their leadership skills to develop and motivate their distributor networks. Communication is now relatively inexpensive and almost instantaneous, speeding up response times to market demands.

This has launched industry forward dramatically because it is now possible to effectively manage a vast network of thousands of distributors across globe from your home. This is a leverage previously only dreamed of.