161 SECTION 251
251.01 Description
This work consists of seeding disturbed areas.
251.02 Equipment
A.Class I, II, III, and Wetland Seed Mixture Equipment. Use a grass drill equipped with double disk furrow openers that are: − Spaced no greater than 8 inches apart; − Individually mounted; − Adjustable; − Spring loaded; − Capable of planting seeds at depths between 1/4 and 3/4 inches; and − Packer wheels meeting one of the following requirements: • Mounted individually to each furrow opener and have an adjustable spring tension; or • Mounted independently with a press wheel positioned to follow directly behind each furrow opener. Equip the seed box with: − A positive feed mechanism that meters seed in a uniform manner with agitators that prevent seed bridging; and − Baffles or partitions that keep all seeds uniformly mixed during drilling. If chaffy native grasses (sideoats grama, big bluestem, or Indiangrass) are part of the seed mixture, equip the seed box with a positive picker -wheel mechanism with oversize teeth and auger style agitators that meters the chaffy native grasses either in a mixture or separately in a uniform manner.
B.Temporary Cover Crop Seed Mixture Equipment. Use a seed drill that provides a uniform flow of seed at the required rate and a planting depth between 1/2 and 1 1/2 inches.
251.03 Materials
A.General. Furnish seed that meets or exceeds Pure Live Seed requirements for the specified seed. Use seed that contains no prohibited noxious weed seeds and contains less than 25 seeds per pound of restricted noxious weed seeds. North Dakota Department of Agriculture classifies noxious weeds at www.nd.gov/ndda . The Engineer will not accept seed that is wet, moldy, or damaged.
B.Seed Testing. Provide seed that has been tested for purity and germination within 12 months of the planting date by one of the following methods: 162 − North Dakota Seed Department, Seed Lab; − Commercial seed testing lab; or − A registered member of the Society of Commercial Seed Analysts. Provide the certified lab test report with copies of testing results for each seed species. Submit the report and results before beginning seeding operations.
C.Labeling. Provide a label for each bag of seed that meets the requirements of the North Dakota State Seed Department. The labeling requirements can be found at the following location: http://www.nd.gov/seed/index.aspx
D.Seed Class. Provide the minimum amount of seed per acre shown in Table 251-01. The mix requirements for Class III seed will be specified in the plans. TABLE 251 -01 Seed Class Mix Requirements Grass Species Variety Pounds Pure Live Seed Per Acre Class I Kentucky Blue Grass Park 4.0 Perennial Rye Grass -- 5.4 Blue Grama Bad River 2.4 Sideoats Grama Killdeer, Pierre, Butte 7.2 TOTAL 19.0 Class II – Early Season Western Wheatgrass Rodan, Rosana, Walsh, Flintlock, W.R. Poole, Recovery 9.6 Switchgrass Dacotah, Forestburg, or Sunburst, Summer 3.2 Green Needlegrass Lodorm, AC Mallard, Fowler 2.4 Sideoats Grama Killdeer, Pierre, Butte 3.6 Slender Wheatgrass Revenue, Primar, Adanac, Pryor, Firstrike 5.0 Oats -- 10.0 TOTAL 33.8 Class II – Late Season Western Wheatgrass Rodan, Rosana, Walsh, Flintlock, W.R. Poole, Recovery 9.6 Switchgrass Dacotah, Forestburg, or Sunburst, Summer 1.6 Green Needlegrass Lodorm, AC Mallard, Fowler 3.6 Canada Wild -rye Mandan 5.2 Slender Wheatgrass Revenue, Primar, Adanac, Pryor, Firstrike 5.0 Oats -- 10.0 TOTAL 35.0 163 E. Temporary Cover Crop. Provide a temporary cover crop that consists of oats. Spread at a rate of 64 pounds pure live seed per acre.
F.Wetland Seed. Provide the minimum amount of seed per acre shown in Table 251-02. TABLE 251 -02 Wetland Seed Mix Grass Pounds Pure Live Seed Per Acre Common Name Scientific Name Variety East of HWY 83 West of HWY 83 Prairie Cord Grass Spartina pectinata Red River 1.1 1.1 American Slough Grass Beckmannia syzigachne Common 0.2 0.2 Fowl Blue Grass Poa palustris Common 0.2 0.2 Fox Sedge Carex vulpinoidea Common 0.2 0.2 American Manna Grass1 Glyceria grandis Common 0.2 0.2 Fowl Manna Grass1 Glyceria striata Common 0.1 0.1 Bluejoint Grass2 Calamagrostis canadensis Common 0.1 0.1 Virginia Wild -rye Elymus virginicus Omaha 2.0 --- Canada Wild -rye Elymus canadensis Mandan --- 1.3 Total 4.1 3.4 1 American, Fowl, or both may be used. If only one is used the seeding rate of other species does not need to be increased. 2 Seed may not be available and can be removed without increasing the seeding rate of other species.
G.Fertilizer. Use a fertilizer mixture that contains a minimum of 20 pounds of nitrogen (N) and 20 pounds of phosphorous (P 2O5) per acre.
251.04 Construction Requirements
A.General. Clear seeding areas of all deleterious materials. Shape the cleared areas before seeding. Do not place seed in frozen ground or in standing water. Operate equipment parallel to the contours of the ground.
B.Seedbed Preparation. Cultivate or disk topsoil to a depth of approximately 3 inches. Break up lumps and clods exposed by the initial pass of tillage equipment into pieces less than 1 inch in diameter. Remove ma terials greater than 1 inch in diameter that cannot be broken up. Construct a smooth and firm seedbed that allows seeds to be placed at a depth between 1/4 and 3/4 inches. 164 Do not cultivate or disk topsoil if temporary cover crop has achieved greater than 25 percent vegetative coverage determined by the Engineer. Round the tops of backslopes before seeding. Cover the exposed backslope with existing topsoil during the finish grading work without loading and transporting the topsoil. Leave seedbeds that are to be hydraulic mulched with seed in loose condition. Mow temporary cover crop to a height between 8 and 10 inches before placing final seed mixture.
C.Seasonal Limitations. If seeding is required before April 20 or between July 16 and August 9, plant a temporary cover crop as specified in Section 251.03 E, “Temporary Cover Crop” . Re-seed the area with the specified seed mixture between April 20 and July 15 or after August 10 and before the ground freezes. If planting Class II seed between April 20 and July 15, use the Class II – Early Season seed mixture specified in Table 251-01. If planting Class II seed after August 10 and before the ground freezes, use the Class II – Late Season mixture specified in Table 251-01.
D.Seeding Requirements.
1.Class I, II, III, and Wetland Seeding Requirements. Plant seeds to a depth between 1/4 and 3/4 inches.
2.Other Equipment Seeding Requirements. Employ other methods in areas that are inaccessible to a grass drill. Use a drag harrow to cover the seed. Use a light -weight packer over the seeded area. Seed only when wind is less than 15 mph when not using a grass drill.
E.Fertilizer. Only apply fertilizer to sites where less than 2 inches of topsoil is available. Apply fertilizer before placing topsoil.
251.05 Method of Measurement
The Engineer will measure, completed and in place, as specified in Section 109.01, “Measurement of Quantities”.
251.06 Basis of Payment
Pay Item Pay Unit Seeding Class __ Acre or Mile Wetland Seed Acre or Mile 165 Pay Item Pay Unit Temporary Cover Crop Acre or Mile Fertilizer Acre Such payment is full compensation for furnishing all materials, equipment, labor, and incidentals to complete the work as specified. Section 252 166 SECTION 252 SODDING
252.01 Description
This work consists of placing sod in designated areas.
252.02 Equipment
Reserved.
252.03 Materials
A.General. Provide sod with the following characteristics: − Dense and well -rooted; − Desirable grass, such as a variety of Kentucky Blue Grass; − Adapted to the general locality; − Free from weeds; − Grass shorter than 2 inches; and − Uniform thickness.
B.Sampling, Testing, and Certification. Submit a Certificate of Compliance from an independent testing laboratory with each shipment of sod to the project. In addition to the requirements specified in Section 106.01 C, “Certificate of Compliance” include the following: − Date; − Location and size of sod field; − Type of grass contained in the sod; − Statement that the soil, upon which the sod was grown, contains less than 20 percent organic m aterial as determined by AASHTO T 267; − Sampling and testing dates; − Statement that the testing laboratory tested 2 samples per 2.5 acres or fraction thereof, taken at least 50 feet apart in the sod field; − Statement that each sod field location has been tested and certified within the last 5 years; − Statement that the sod was grown in the sod field tested; and − Name of independent testing laboratory.
252.04 Construction Requirements
A.Sod Bed Preparation. Cultivate or disk topsoil to a depth of approximately 3 inches. Remove stones and deleterious material larger than 1 inch in diameter. Roll the surface of the sodbed to a smooth and uniform consistency.
B.Placement. Keep sod rolls moist and protected from the sun and wind by tarpaulins or shade cloth. Do not install sod that has dried, has a soil layer that breaks, tears and or crumbles.
Referenced in this section
SEEDING in other states
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Source: North Dakota Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, 2022 Edition. Pages 196–200 of 550. View official source ↗