Turf Management

Extracted from the 2021 Symphony Village Landscape Contract

Overview

All turf areas covered by this contract shall be maintained in the highest professional manner at all times. The contractor shall maintain a current Maryland Certified Lawn Care Professional certificate. The quality of turf shall be determined by density, color, and uniformity.
The work required shall include all labor, supervision, equipment, tools, and materials to complete the work outlined in these specifications and in accordance with professional turf grass management practices.

Mowing and Trimming

First mowing shall be the first Wednesday of April unless specified otherwise of each year (weather permitting). The turf shall be cut to a height of 3.5" to 4" as conditions dictate using rotary-type mower or reel-type mower. Blades shall be balanced and kept sharp at all times.
The total number of mowings in this contract shall be 23 with variances deemed appropriate due to weather or extenuating circumstances.
Each occurrence of mowing shall be completed within a one-day time frame, weather permitting, each Wednesday. In the event a mowing date is changed due to weather or any other reason, mowing will be executed on the next workday. If change is needed, contractor will contact Symphony Village General Manager 24 hours prior to the start of the next mowing.
Mowing patterns shall be employed to encourage upright growth and permit the recycling of clippings.
Excessive clippings resulting from growth rates exceeding proposed frequencies, or that remain as clumps, shall be removed from turf areas.
Clippings shall be removed from all paved or mulched surfaces after completed mowing at the end of the workday. No provision is made for debris disposal on site.
String Trimming around HVAC equipment, foundations, and areas that mowers cannot get to shall be performed with each mowing. Work shall be performed using hand labor or mechanical devices, at contractor's discretion, to present a neat and trim appearance. Care should be taken to avoid "scalping". Should scalping occur, the contractor will reseed the area at no cost.
During each mowing occurrence, the upper perimeter of each stormwater pond shall be mowed. All ponds will maintain a 10-20 foot wide buffer area around the water; the slopes down to the water will only be mowed once a year; if an additional mowing is determined by the Symphony Village General Manager, it will be limited to one additional mowing, down to (but not including) the buffer area. If a second mowing is not necessary, the cost will be credited to the Association.
Clear around resident water meters in front of homes, as required.
Contractor will develop a survey map of Symphony Village, noting areas of concern (wet areas, slopes, etc.), selecting the most suitable mower for the sites. These sites will be inspected by supervisors after each mowing. This map will be available to Symphony Village General Manager before first mowing.
Contractor will verify the operating speed of walk-behind mowers is set at Level 3 (walking speed). Contractor will regulate as many riding mowers as possible to walking speed and assure that all mowers operate with mulch kits. Supervisors will provide regular training and reviews with work crews in order to maintain appropriate speeds.
Contractor will ensure that the strategy in place will consolidate mowing, edging, and blowing as a single component so that clippings are removed prior to the end of the workday in residential areas including sidewalks and driveways. Contractor will conduct ongoing training and work reviews for personnel using string trimmers to prevent damage to foundations and siding.
Work crews are to be advised to report any damage immediately to supervisors. They will notify Symphony Village General Manager by end of workday. If possible, the resident will be notified immediately. Contractor is responsible for timely and appropriate corrective action.
The embankment on Encore Court shall be 'cut back' in late June and November down to the stormwater management/natural area and tree line; such that ground cover is retained to prevent erosion. The Encore Court hillside and an area approximately two (2) feet behind the retaining wall must be cut down to the natural area, with each mowing. All other hillsides and embankments (end of Harmony, Symphony, etc.) will be 'mowed' down to the natural area, with each mowing.
Bioswales alongside and behind homes to be included in each mowing and grates/drains/etc. are to be cleared of any debris.
Weeds appearing in the playground mulch area are to be hand removed as needed but not less than during every other mowing.
The turf on both sides of Taylor Mill Road to Rt. 213 is to be mowed no less than two (2) feet from the farm fields during each mowing.
Wherever there is grass, mowing on both sides of the asphalt walking path leading up to the sharp right tum when the path begins to run parallel to Rt 213 are to be mowed during every other mowing, to the degree possible.
Weed control will be performed for curbs and cracks in walks, and common area tree beds, as needed.

Edging

Edging is performed where grass meets hard surfaces, i.e. sidewalks, front walks, driveways, and curbs. Routine edging does not include tree beds, rear patios, or garden areas.
All mulched areas shall be edged once annually, see Spring Cleanup.
All appropriate surfaces shall be edged using mechanical methods at every other mowing (12X/season).
All accessible (non-parking) curbing shall be edged using mechanical methods at every other mowing (12X/season).
Areas that cannot be edged using a mechanical edger will be edged using a string trimmer every other mowing ( l 2:X/season).
All dirt and debris resulting from edging operations shall be removed. No provision is made for disposal of debris on-site.
Edging around common area tree beds, shrubs, and perennial beds as well as edging around residential front beds will be completed one time annually prior to mulching operations.

Turf Care

Contractor shall follow the current Maryland Department of Agriculture's fertilizer application specifications effective October 1, 2013.

Residential yards:

Application #1: (March/April) Fertilizer/Crabgrass pre-emergent (Prodiamine) - Fast release polymer based granular nitrogen fertilizer 0.5 lb N/10 00 sq ft.
Application #2: (April/May) A second pre-emergent fast release polymer based granular nitrogen fertilizer 0.5 lb N/ I 000 sq ft.
Application #3: (June/July) Broadleaf weed control (Lesco 3-way herbicide) post-emergent. Not a fertilizer or nitrogen application.
Application #4: (Oct/Nov) A winter fertilization application is applied.
Application #5: Held in reserve to be utilized as determined by turf conditions at the time, as agreed upon by the GM and the Landscaping Contractor. Examples might include excess broadleaf, crabgrass, or nutsedge. May also be applied as a pre-emergent weed control (i.e. prevention of nutsedge).

The dates of the chemical application shall be determined by weather and turf conditions. Application dates shall be projected in the annual service calendar provided to the Symphony Village General Manager prior to March 1 of each year. Any changes from the projected application dates must be approved by the Symphony Village General Manager. All excess fertilizer/herbicide on sidewalks/streets shall be cleared from these areas.

2. All chemical applications are to be complete over a three (3) day period. A map showing three (3) separate areas of the community and the corresponding application days must be provided to the Symphony Village General Manager no less than ten (10) days in advance of the scheduled application. The areas where chemical application has been completed must be clearly and abundantly marked. The markers placed in the area treated on the first day are to be removed on the third day of application. All other markers must be removed in a timely manner but no later than the next mowing to indicate the areas in which the treatment has had time to be absorbed.

3. Common areas: Pond perimeters shall not be fertilized. All other common areas should be treated with fertilizer and weed control using same specifications as applied to residential yards.

4. Lime Applications: Soil Testing for Lime will be conducted annually. A Lime application will be applied in the Fall, if substantiated by the test results. Future applications will be based on Soil Testing as described below.

5. Fallen branches may be temporarily relocated to tree/garden beds or other non-turf areas to permit efficient turf mowing/fertilization. However, they must be removed from the site following such activity.

Soil Tests

A soil test shall be conducted annually commencing with the first year of the contract. The test shall be performed before April 15.
The contractor shall follow the guidelines as outlined by the Maryland Department of Agriculture's (MDA) Maryland Professional Lawn Care Manual (October 2018) Chapter 4 Soil Testing.
Samples shall be taken from all four areas of the construction phases. There shall be a minimum of 12-15 subsamples taken from each area as defined by the Maryland Professional Lawn Care Manual pages 17 and 18.
Samples shall analyze the soils pH, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, boron, cation exchange capacity (CAC). Soil texture may also be included.
All soil samples shall be analyzed by an MDA or equivalent laboratory. The results of the tests shall be presented to the Symphony Village General Manager along with a recommendation for any remedial action when appropriate.

Lawn Area Weeds, Disease, and Insect Control

According to IPM guidelines, contractor shall monitor insect and disease problems and treat them according to MDA Best Practices. An employee registered as a State of Maryland Licensed Pesticide Applicator and trained in the recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of major turf diseases and insect pests shall at all times be on the alert for an outbreak of such pests. Symphony Village General Manager shall be notified immediately of an outbreak. Notification shall include recommended treatment and costs.

Aeration

(as required in common areas only)

Established turf shall be aerated once per season to reduce damage resulting from compaction, and to improve turf receptiveness to seeding, fertilizers, etc.
Aerification shall be accomplished utilizing a core-type aerator that will not damage irrigation sprinkler heads.
Should a head be damaged, it is the contractor's responsibility to replace it and test for leaks at no additional cost.
Fall aeration shall occur between September 1 and November 30 before irrigation system is shut down for the season.
The aerator tines shall penetrate the soil to a minimum depth of one inch.
Aeration cores shall not be collected from turf.

Overseeding

(Cost not included in base contract)

Where applicable, mechanical over-seeding tall fescue grass shall be performed to strengthen weak areas of turf.
Area requiring reseeding shall be reseeded at the rate of 4 lbs./ 1,000 sq. ft. All areas shall be reseeded with an approved certified seed, turf type tall fescue blend. Seed shall be clean, delivered in original unopened packages, and bearing an analysis of the contents, guaranteed 95% pure and to have a minimum germination rate of 85% at the time of planting. Weed content of all grass seed mixtures must not exceed: 05%.
Reseeding shall be incorporated with aeration.