Mowing will be done using a recurring schedule to permit recycling of grass clippings and to avoid removing more than 1/3 of the leaf blade at any one cutting and will present a neat appearance. Typical mowing height will be no lower than 3.25” and no higher than 3.75”, biweekly areas may be mowed up to 4” as necessary to prevent excess clumping or poor cut quality. In general grass will be mowed weekly or biweekly (see map overview for designated areas as indicated by shaded areas. Yellow denotes areas to be mowed weekly, blue indicates biweekly). Scalping of the lawn areas due to too low cutting height is to be avoided and recurring damage to the turf may lead to contract termination. a. Clippings shall be mulched and not caught or removed from turf areas unless they are lying in swaths or clumps that may cause damage to the turf. It is up to the discretion of HCC Facilities to determine if clippings are excessive and it will be the contractor’s responsibility to remove and dispose of clippings to their own disposal site at their own expense. b. All cutting machinery shall be adjusted daily and blades should be sharp at the beginning of each weekly mowing. When mowing next to curbs, sidewalks, buildings, and plant beds throw clippings inward toward the lawn areas. All machines must have grass deflectors in place and/or chute blockers. Mulching decks with no discharge chutes are recommended whenever possible. c. Mowing operations should be done in such a manner to prevent mowers, blowers, line trimmers, and other equipment from propelling grass, stones, and other debris onto automobiles, buildings, structures, etc. All damage resulting from such operations shall be the responsibility of the contractor. d. Mowing shall not be performed when the ground is excessively wet as clumping of grass clippings or damage to the turf may occur. e. Any damage to the landscape, the structure, or any part of the HCC campus shall be repaired by the contractor without charge to HCC. f. General leaf cleanup in Autumn will be performed during regular scheduled mowing visits, and the use of Mulching Mower decks is required, and leaves must be mulched to the point where they will not cause damage to the turf. Excess leaves must be removed from the property at contractor’s expense.
