226Temporary Grassing

226.02 Materials.

226.02.1 Fertilizers. Fertilizers for purposes of these specifications shall be understood

to include standard manufactured products consisting of a combination of ingredients. All fertilizer shall comply with the State fertilizer laws and Subsection 715.02. Agricultural limestone will not be required for temporary grassing.

226.02.2 Seeds. Seeds shall meet the requirements of Subsection 715.03, subject to the

provisions of this subsection. The Contractor shall acquire seed from persons registered with the MDAC. Except for the germination requirements, bags of seeds properly labeled or tagged according to law and indicating characteristics meeting or exceeding the requirements of Subsection 715.03 will be acceptable for planting. The Contractor should provide adequate dry storage facilities for seeds, and shall furnish access to the storage for sampling stored seed.

226.02.3 Mulching. The vegetative materials for mulch shall meet the requirements of

Subsection 715.05. When used, bituminous material for mulch shall be Emulsified Asphalt, Grade SS-1, meeting the requirement of Subsection 702.07.

226.03 Construction Requirements. The rates of application shall not exceed the rates

shown on the temporary vegetation schedule, unless otherwise approved by the Engineer. Any unauthorized overage due to increased application rates will not be measured for payment.

226.03.1 Ground Preparation. Any equipment used for ground preparation shall be

approved units suitable to perform the work and subject to the requirements of Subsection 108.05. Light ground preparation should be used on areas where seeding is required. Light ground preparation consists of scratc hing the surface with a close-tooth harrow, disk-harrow, or similar equipment. The depth of scratching should be at least three- quarters inch but not deep enough to damage existing grasses of the type being planted. Aerating, moistening, or otherwise bringing the soil to a suitable condition for ground preparation shall be considered as incidental to the work and will not be measured for separate payment.

226.03.2 Fertilizing. The Contractor shall furnish all equipment necessary to properly

handle, store, uniformly spread, and incorporate the specified application of fertilizer. The Contractor shall incorporate 13-13-13 co mmercial fertilizer at the rate shown in the vegetation schedule in the plans. The equivalent rate of other type fertilizers will be allowed if the equivalent percentages of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium are obtained. Fertilization shall be applied uniformly on the areas to be seeded and uniformly incorporated into the soil. Fertilizer should be applied on individual areas of not more than three acres. All fertilizer should be incorporated within 24 hours following spreading.

226.03.3 Seeding.

226.03.3 1--General. Prior to planting the seeds, ground preparation and fertilizing

should have been satisfactorily performed. The required type of seeds, recommended rates of application and recommended planting dates of seeds are shown in the vegetation schedule in the plans. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to appl y an ample amount of each type of seed to produce a satisfactory growth of grass and of the seed type required. Legume seeds should be tr eated in accordance with Subs ection 715.03.4 immediately before sowing. Seeds should be uniforml y sown over the entire area with mechanical seeders. Seeds of different sizes may necess itate separate sowing. When legume seeds become dry, they should be reinoculated. Seeding should not be done during windy weather or when the ground is frozen, extremely wet, or in an untillable condition. All seeds should be covered lightly with soil by raking, rolling, or other approved methods, and the area compacted with a cultipacker.

226.03.3 2--Plant Establishment. Plant establishment shall consist of preserving,

protecting, watering, reseeding, and other wo rk necessary to keep the seeded areas in satisfactory condition. Areas requiring reseeding should be prepared and seeded and all other work performed as if the reseeding was the initial seeding. The types and application rates of fertilizer will be at the discretion of the Contractor. No additional measurement and payment will be made for re-seeding when payment was made for the initial seeding.

226.03.3 3--Growth and Coverage. It shall be the Contractor's responsibility to provide

satisfactory growth and coverage of grasses, legumes, or combination produced from the specified seeding. Growth and coverage on seeded areas will be considered to be in reasonably close conformity with the intent of the contract when the type of vegetation specified, exclusive of that from seeds not expected to have germinated and shows growth at that time, has reached a point of maturity wh ere stems or runners overlap adjacent similar growth in each direction over the entire area.

226.03.4 Mulching.

226.03.4 1--Equipment. Mulching equipment should be capable of maintaining a

constant air stream that will blow or eject controlled quantities of mulch in a uniform pattern. If asphalt is used, a jet or spray nozzle for applying uniform, controlled amounts of asphalt to the vegetative material as it is ejected should be located at or near the discharge spout. Mulch stabilizers should consist of dull blades or disks without camber and approximately 20 inches in diameter. The disks should be notched, should be spaced at approximately 8-inch intervals, and should be equipped with scrapers. The stabilizer should weigh approximately 1000 to 1200 pounds, should have a working width of no more than eight feet, and should be equipped with a ballast compartment, so that weight can be increased.

226.03.4 2--Placement of Vegetative Mulch . If required, mulching should be placed

uniformly on designated areas within 24 hours following seeding unless weather conditions are such that mulching cannot be performed. Placement should begin on the windward side of areas and from tops of slopes. In its final position, the mulch should be loose enough to allow air to circulate but compact enough to partially shade the ground and reduce erosion. The baled material should be loosened and broken thoroughly before it is fed into the machine to avoid placement of unbroken clumps.

226.03.4 3--Rates of Application and Anchoring Mulch . The recommended rate of

application of vegetative mulch shall be as shown in the vegetation schedule in the plans. The mulch should be anchored by either the use of a mulch stabilizer or by tacking with bituminous material. If a mulch stabilizer is used, the mulch should be punched into the soil for a minimum depth of one inch. If bituminous material is used, the rate of application should be 150 gallons per acre. Where steep slopes or other conditions are such that anchoring cannot be performed satisfactory with a mulch stabilizer, the Contractor may elect to use bituminous material applied at the time or immediately following the mulch placement. When mulch stabilizers are used, anchoring the mulch should be performed along the contour of the ground surface.

226.03.4 4--Protection and Maintenance. The Contractor should take every precaution

to prevent unnecessary foot and vehicular traffic.

226.03.5 Vegetation Schedule. When a temporary vegetation schedule is not shown in

the plans or when the contract does not ha ve an official set of plans, the following application rates shall be used, unless otherwise noted or approved by the Engineer.