Specifications include, but are not limited to: LAWN MOWING a. Debris in the cutting areas shall be removed prior to mowing to reduce incidents of projectiles.; b. Grass shall be mowed to an average height of two inches (2”) weekly.; c. At no time, should more than 1/3 of the above ground foliage be removed.; d. When mowing, contractor must exercise extreme caution to avoid heavily crowded areas to reduce the risk of injury caused by projectiles.; e. Mowing shall be executed to discharge debris away from bystanders, buildings, and automobiles to reduce incidence of injury and property damage.; f. Locations with an enclosed courtyard must be cut using a walk-behind mower. No tractor mowers shall be driven through school hallways to avoid damage to interior walls or floors unless approved by school principal.; g. Special care must be taken to avoid damage to floors and/or walls when any equipment must be moved into a courtyard through the interior of a school building.; EDGING a. Edging shall be accomplished with every mowing to maintain a manicured appearance without resulting in deep trenches. Curbs, walks, sidewalks, hedgerows, flower beds, ground cover areas, including underbrush at the edge of common grounds, etc., shall be edged by an edging machine, not a weed eater. ; a. FERTILIZATION Contractor must provide a 48 hour notice prior to application of fertilizer.; Amount of fertilizer applied shall be sufficient to cover the square footage of all turf and planting beds at each location.; Any substitutions must be approved by BCSD.; b. SHRUB FERTILIZATION Utilize a 100% slow release fertilizer with minors (17-00-09) at a rate of one (1) pound per 100 square feet of bed area.; Fertilizer shall be evenly distributed over root zone.; c. SOIL TESTING An annual soil test shall be performed for all locations.; The annual soil test shall include soil samples from all sides of the property.; A copy of annual soil test results and documentation of soil amendment applications based on each school’s soil test results shall be submitted to the District’s Executive Director of Facility Services for review. ; WEED CONTROL a. Weed and other unwanted growth will be kept out of all plant beds, walks, parking areas, HVAC units and/or gas tank enclosures by chemical or manual means.; b. Weeds shall be kept out of all playground areas and sand boxes. Preferred method of removal in play areas shall be by manual means; however, if chemical treatment is needed, application shall be performed during a time when children are not present. Pellets may not be used.; c. The contractor will establish and maintain a year-round preventative and curative program appropriate for the plant life presently on the property. All chemicals will be applied according to manufacturer’s recommendations in order to insure adequate insect and disease control. ; PINE STRAW a. Pine straw mulch shall be installed twice annually to all beds. The first application shall coincide with the beginning of the new school year, and the second application shall be six (6) months later.; b. Mulch shall be applied to a depth of four inches (4”) to all bed areas at entrance and throughout the property.; c. All beds shall be trenched for a defined, manicured appearance.
