MD ANDERSON Project No. XX-XXXX / MD ANDERSON PROJECT NAME
A/E Name / Issue Description
A/E Project No. / Month, 00, 0000

SECTION 32 91 20 – EXTERIOR LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE

PART 1 - PART 1 – GENERAL

1.01RELATED DOCUMENTS

  1. Drawings and general provisions of the Contract, including General and Supplementary Conditions and Division 01 Specification Sections, apply to this Section.
  2. Specifications throughout all Divisions of the Project Manual are directly applicable to this Section, and this Section is directly applicable to them.

1.02summary

  1. Furnish all labor, materials, State required licenses (i.e. irrigation, pesticide applicator) and equipment as necessary to provide a landscape maintenance program in strict accordance with the Specifications and Drawings as prepared by the Landscape Architect.

1.03RELATED WORK IN OTHER SECTIONS

  1. Examine all sections for work related to this section

1.04SCOPE

  1. Work Included:
  2. Mowing, edging, weeding and trimming of lawn areas
  3. Pruning and trimming of trees and shrubs
  4. Weeding of mulched areas
  5. Application of fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides
  6. General site clean-up; removal of trash and debris

1.05REQUIREMENTS OF REGULTORY AGENCIES

  1. Perform work in accordance with all applicable laws, codes and regulations required by authorities having jurisdiction over such work and provide for all permits required by local authorities.

1.06CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITES

  1. The Contractor shall begin maintenance immediately upon starting any portion of the work of this contract.
  2. The Contractor’s maintenance period shall continue 60 days beyond the date of Substantial Completion of all work in this contract. Any landscape work that is not completed at the time of Substantial Completion shall not be covered in the 60 day maintenance period.
  3. Trees, shrubs and groundcovers: The Contractor’s maintenance of new planting shall consist of watering, cultivation, weeding, mulching, re-staking, tightening, and repairing of guys, resetting plants to proper grades or upright positions, restoration of the planting saucer and furnishings, and applying such sprays and invigorants as are necessary to keep the plantings free of insects and disease and in thriving condition.
  4. Lawns: The Contractor’s maintenance of new lawns shall consist of mowing, watering, repair of all erosion and reseeding as necessary to establish a uniform stand of the specified grasses.
  5. Irrigation: Make minor adjustments to the irrigation heads as needed.

1.07PROTECTION

  1. Protect planting areas and lawns at all times against damage of all kinds for duration of maintenance period. Maintenance includes temporary protections, fences, barriers and signs as required for protection. If any plants become damaged or injured because sufficient protection was not provided, treat or replace as directed by Owner at no additional cost to Owner.

1.08FINALACCEPTANCE

  1. Work under this section will be accepted by landscape architect and/or a representative of MD Anderson Grounds & Landscape Department upon satisfactory completion of all work, including maintenance, replacement of plant materials, and lawns under the warranty period. Upon final acceptance, the Owner will assume responsibility for maintenance of the work.

1.09WARRANTIES AND REPLACEMENTS

  1. Refer to other sections

1.10MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS

  1. At the completion of work, furnish two (2) copies of written maintenance instructions to Owner and one (1) copy to Landscape Architect for maintenance and care of the seeded areas and all planting throughout the year.
  2. At the completion of work, furnish a recommended irrigation schedule based on the Evapotranspiration (ET) requirements for July for the following:
  3. Turf
  4. Shrubbery
  5. Annual color
  6. Trees
  7. These recommendations shall be based on each specific zone of irrigation and shall provide the following data:
  8. Precipitation rate of the zone
  9. Recommended run time in minutes (for the ET of July)
  10. Recommendations for any “Cycle and Soak” functions
  11. Any slope considerations
  12. Frequency of irrigation schedule

PART 2 - PRODUCTS

2.01MATERIALS

  1. Materials required for installed items shall match those already in use.
  2. Top-dress Fertilizer: Fertilizer shall be Microlife Ultimate (8-6-4) as manufactured by San Jacinto Environmental Supply, 2221-A West 34th Street, Houston, TX 77018 or approved equal.

2.02REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

  1. Contractor shall furnish for contractor’s own use the following maintenance equipment:
  2. Riding lawn mowers
  3. Push lawn mowers
  4. Gasoline powered edger
  5. Trash collection equipment
  6. Line trimmers
  7. Miscellaneous hand tools, rakes, brooms, shovels, etc.
  8. Blowers
  9. Fuel and other supplies as needed

PART 3 - EXECUTION

3.01WATERING

  1. MD Anderson has a “RainMaster Central Control” computer controlled irrigation management irrigation system. The Contractor will not have direct access to operational controls of this system. However, access to the irrigation system for the warranted landscape will be available by the following means:
  2. Generate a written irrigation schedule as provided in Section1.1 and provide it to the Grounds & Landscape Department of MD Anderson.
  3. Obtain an access code from the Grounds & Landscape Department of MD Anderson for the RainMaster irrigation controller. Once this is obtained,Contractor may make minor adjustments via the controller.
  4. In the event the irrigation controller is a “stand alone” controller and not linked to the central control, the Contractor shall still provide an irrigation schedule to the Grounds & Landscape Department of MD Anderson.
  5. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to assure the correct watering of plant materials is being accomplished.
  6. The Contractor shall verify the irrigation system is providing adequate irrigation coverage. In the event the system does not provide adequate coverage, notify the MD Anderson Grounds & Landscape Department of the deficiency.
  7. The Contractor shall ensure the recommended irrigation schedule does not allow any run off, hot spots, dry areas or wet areas.
  8. In the event any of these conditions are observed, scheduling recommendations should be made to the Grounds & Landscape Department of MD Anderson.
  9. Provide deep watering to all new trees until there are definite signs that the trees have established themselves, new growth is apparent, and no trees are exhibiting stress conditions. This can be accomplished by utilizing “Cycle and Soak” programs.
  10. Contractor shall provide hand watering as needed.
  11. Contractor shall be responsible for damages to irrigation system caused by mowing and other maintenance operations.
  12. In the event an irrigation head is broken, it shall be replaced by the identical product that was installed. No substitutions will be accepted. This repair should be done in a timely manner.
  13. In the event that any irrigation product is broken, regardless if it is a valve, etc., it shall be replaced with the same product.
  14. In the event that a “flow sensor data” cable is cut or broken, it shall be replaced for its full length and not patched or repaired.

3.02MAINTENANCE OF TURF AREAS

  1. Mowing lawn/grass areas shall be accomplished with sharp, properly adjusted mowers of the correct size for the various areas. All grass clipping shall be removed from the turf and job site by the Contractor.
  2. Mowing frequency shall be as per the Landscape Maintenance Program. Blade heights shall be set according to the following schedule:
  3. 2 inches - Initial Mowing
  4. 2 ½ inches April - November
  5. 2 ½ inchesDecember - March
  6. In the event of a prolonged rainy period and if surge of leaf growth is anticipated, the mower height may be readjusted to prevent “scalping” of lawn on preceding cuts. In the event the turf is saturated from rainfall and it is apparent the mowers will sink and cause turf damage, the Contractor shall contact the MD Anderson Grounds & Landscape Department representative to obtain authorization to either continue or reschedule the scheduled mowing event. If the mowing event is rescheduled, the Contractor shall continue to perform other phases of the scheduled visit.
  7. In the event of turf damage or ruts caused by mowers, the Contractor shall immediately repair the damaged turf.
  8. Lawn shall be edged evenly at all walks, headers and other structures as per the Landscape Maintenance Program. The edging of turf shall be accomplished via a gasoline powered edger, not a line trimmer.
  9. Until the establishment of the turf, the Contractor will be responsible for replacing soils that have eroded into the paved areas. Residual soils on paving will be removed and if not mingled with objectionable materials may be re-used in eroded areas. In the event this is a continuous problem, the Contractor shall install “jute Mat” or other methods to prevent the erosion problem until the turf is established.
  10. As a regular scheduled maintenance event, all grass shall be removed from entering into shrubbery or ground cover. A clean line shall be maintained. This can be accomplished by either a gasoline powered edger or a line trimmer.
  11. Any lawn grass appearing in paved areas shall receive an application of soil sterilant according to manufacturer’s directions. The sterilant shall be approved in advance and shall not be detrimental structurally to any paved areas. Any fertilizers or pesticides shall be approved in advance by MD Anderson Grounds & Landscape Department for use on MD Anderson property. Contractor shall provide MSDS to Owner at the acceptance of the contract. In the event a chemical is recommended by the Contractor and approved by the MD Anderson Grounds & Landscape Department that was not on the initial MSDS List, an updated MSDS shall be provided prior to the application.
  12. Special effort shall be given to the control of fire ants on the site. After control is accomplished as evidenced by lack of mound activity, the ant mounds shall be lowered and tamped to the existing grade.
  13. Apply top-dress fertilizer of Majestic Gro (18-5-9) as manufactured by San Jacinto Environmental Supply or approved equal commercial blend of high quality, low salt synthetic fertilizer, 50% slow-release, with Houactinite (as carrier), 3% Fe, 8% Sulfur, 1% Mg and Micronutrients including Zinc, Boron, Copper, Molybdenum and Potassium Sulfate, thirty (30) days after seeding.
  14. Removal of debris from the site unrelated to horticultural maintenance (paper, bottles, cans, “Pirate” signs, etc.) shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. Scheduled frequency as per Landscape Maintenance Program.

3.03MAINTENANCE OF TREES AND SHRUBS

  1. Contractor shall adjust and tighten all tree-staking and guying as required. Removal as directed by Owner.
  2. Contractor shall provide a schedule to the MD Anderson Grounds & Landscape Department to deep water all new trees until there are definite signs the trees have established themselves and are pushing out new growth. This may require additional hand watering.
  3. Watering basins shall be removed by Contractor after the trees have established themselves or as directed by Owner. Basins are normally removed one year from time of plantings. Therefore, the Contractor shall include in their pricing and standards a site visit for the express purpose of removing the watering basins one (1) year from the date of installation. A mutually agreed upon date shall be determined prior to the Contractor completing the initial maintenance.
  4. Contractor shall be continuously alert for signs of insect presence or damage or the presence or damage from plant fungi. Upon locating such evidence, the Contractor shall report it to the Owner and take appropriate pro-active action as directed.

PART 4 - SCHEDULES

4.01MOWING, EDGING, TRIMMING, LITTER CLEAN UP, WATERING AND IRRIGATION MONITORING:

MONTH / # OF VISITS PER MONTH
January / 2
February / 2
March / 4
April / 4
May / 4
June / 5
July / 5
August / 5
September / 4
October / 3
November / 2
December / 2

4.02TOPDRESS FERTILIZER

  1. Contractor shall top-dress ornamental bed plantings with an additional application of Majestic Gro fertilizer approximately sixty (60) days after installation or as approved by the MD Anderson Grounds & Landscape Department; at half the manufacturer’s recommended rate (one 50 lb. bag per 15,000 square feet).

4.03MULCHING, WEEDING, WEED CONTROL, GUYING AND STAKING ADJUSTMENT

  1. As required at each site visit.
  2. Prior to the expiration of the Maintenance Contract, the Contractor shallprovide a walk through with the Owner and verify and correct any deficiencies observed in this section.

4.04RESEEDING

  1. As required upon notice.

END OF SECTION 32 91 20

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