EROSION CONTROL MATERIALS
981-1 General.
The types of seed and sod will be specified in the Contract Documents. All seed and sod shall meet the requirements of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and all applicable state laws, and shall be approved by the Engineer before i nstallation. All seed, sod and mulch shall be free of noxious weeds and exotic pest plants, plant parts or seed listed in the current Category I “List of Invasive Species” from the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC, https://www.fleppc.org ). Any plant officially listed as being noxious or undesirable by any Federal Agency, any agency of the State of Florida or any local jurisdiction in which the project is being constructed sha ll not be used. Any such noxious or invasive plant or plant part found to be delivered in seed, sod or mulch will be removed by the Contractor at his expense and in accordance with the law. All materials shall meet plant quarantine and certification entry requirements of Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry Rules.
981-2 Seed.
The seed shall have been harvested from the previous year’s crop. All seed bags shall have a label attached stating the date of harvest, LOT number, percent purity, percent germination, noxious weed certification and date of test. Each of the species or varieties of seed shall be furnished and delivered in separate labeled bags. During handling and storing, the seed shall be cared for in s uch a manner that it will be protected from damage by heat, moisture, rodents and other causes. All permanent and temporary turf seed shall have been tested within a period of six months of the date of planting. All permanent and temporary turf seed shal l have a minimum percent of purity and germination as follows:
1.All Bahia seed shall have a minimum pure live seed content of 95% with a minimum germination of 80%.
2.Bermuda seed shall be of common variety with a minimum pure live seed content of 9 5% with a minimum germination of 85%.
3.Annual Type Ryegrass seed shall have a minimum pure live seed content of 95% with a minimum germination of 90%.
981-3 Sod.
981-3.1 Types: Unless a particular type of sod is called for in the Contract Documents,
sod may be either centipede, bahia, or bermuda at the Contractor’s option. It shall be well matted with roots. Where sodding will adjoin, or be in sufficiently close proximity to, private lawns, other types of sod may be used if desired by the affected prop erty owners and approved by the Engineer.
981-3.2 Dimensions: The sod shall be taken up in commercial -size rectangles, or rolls,
preferably 12 inches by 24 inches or larger, except where 6 inch strip sodding is called for, or as rolled sod at least 12 inches in width and length consistent with the equipment and methods used FY 2023-24 Return to Table of Contents to handle the rolls and place the sod. Sod shall be a minimum of 1 -1/4 inches thick including a 3/4 inch thick layer of roots and topsoil. Reducing the width of rolled sod is not permit ted after the sod has been taken up from the initial growing location. Any netting contained within the sod must be certified by the manufacturer to b iodegrade within one year.
981-3.3 Condition: The sod shall be sufficiently thick to secure a dense stand of live turf.
The sod shall be live, fresh and uninjured, at the time of planting. It shall have a soil mat of sufficient thickness adhering firmly to the roots to withstand all necessary handling. It shall be planted within 48 hours after being cut and kept moist from the time it is cut until it is planted. No sod which has been cut for more than 48 hours may be used unless specifically authorized by the Engineer . A letter of certification from the turf Contractor as to when the sod was cut, and what type , shall be provided to the Engineer upon delivery of the sod to the job site. The source of the sod may be inspected and approved by the Engineer prior to being cut for use in the work.
981-4 Mulch.
The mulch material shall be compost meeting the requir ements of Section 987, hardwood barks, shavings or chips; or inorganic mulch materials as approved by the Engineer; or hydraulically applied wood fiber mulch or bonded fiber matrix (BFM) for the establishment of turf material. FY 2023-24 Return to Table of Contents SECTION 982 FERTILIZER
982-1 Fertilizers.
Fertilizers shall comply with the State fertilizer laws. The numerical designations for fertilizer indicate the minimum percentages (respectively) of total nitrogen, available phosphoric acid, and water -soluble potash, contained in the fertilizer. At least 50% of the nitrogen shall be from a slow -release source.
982-2 Certification.
The Engineer shall collect a copy of the fertilizer label and retain according to the FDOT retention policy . The label shall include guaranteed values for total nitrogen, available phosphoric acid, water -soluble potash, and sulfur.
982-3 Fertilizer Rates.
Soil laboratory fertilization recommendation s are based on the amount (lbs) of nutrients (N, P2O5, K2O) to apply per give n area (usually 1 ,000 square feet.). From this recommendation it is necessary to select an appropriate fertilizer grade and then determine how much of this fertilizer to apply to the area. If a complete fertilizer (containing all three primary nutrients) is not available in the ratio of N-P-K necessary to match the ratio required in the fertilizer recommendation, mixed -grade or single-nutrient fertilizers should be used to satisfy each nutrient requirement. To calculate fertilizer rates:
1.Measure the area to be fertilized in square feet.
2.Select fertilizer s to be used based on the soil testing laboratory recommendations by matching the ratio of nutrients recommended to the fertilizer grades available.
3.Determine the amount of fertilizer to appl y to a given area (1,000 square feet.) by dividing the recommended amount of nutrient by the percentage of the nutrient (on a decimal basis) in the fertilizer. Apply no more than 0.25 lbs P2O5/1000 square feet per application prior to planting.
4.Adjust the amount of fertilizer to the project area. FY 2023-24 Return to Table of Contents
Source: Florida Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, 2024 Edition. Pages 1164–1165 of 1,299.