need advice for aerating

[Orkin Yards]

i have about 5 aeration jobs lined up and i need some questions answered, please help<br>1. what do i need to ask for when renting an aerator<br>2. how much can i charge per 1,000 sqft to do the job (just say its good flat terrain)<br>3. when i overseed do i use a 1,000 sq ft bag of seed for 1,000 sq ft of grass or not?

[PLS]

what kind of turf?

[Orkin Yards]

centipeede, bermuda, i'm in Jackson, MS

[jeffclc]

Have your customer irrigate the night before, if it does not rain. That way, you can run the machine without any additional weight in it. <p>Go straight up and down the hills, not accross.

[Orkin Yards]

i still would like some advice about how much i can charge...and overseeding? how much seed?

[curlawngreen]

I hate to do it again but its in Nilsson book<br>Tim

[john boylan]

Orkin, do it on time-and-material, charging whatever per hour is enough to make you happy. Add in the rental charges. Overseed at whatever rate the County Extension Agent's office recommends. After you've done it a few times, you'll have a better feel for what to charge on a Job basis. No guarantees, cause you can't make your customers water, and one thunderstorm can wash it all away. Consider a pull-behind aerator if you've got a tractor that can pull it, and you can hit all the yards in one day--then follow up the next day with a rental walk-behind for the tight spots. Rent a slice/slit seeder--the newer the better, cause as they get older they get slower and the drop rate gets erratic. Are you gonna put down starter fertilizer? I would, unless you have already have soil test results that say the phosphorous levels are at least medium. Straw's nice too, if it's a renovation more than it's a touchup, but it's slow to spread and no fun anytime. Have fun.