Grounds Standards - WebTMA 7

Updated March 06, 2023 21:39

The APPA Grounds Standards are:

State-of-the-art maintenance
High-level maintenance
Moderate-level maintenance
Moderately low-level maintenance
Minimum-level maintenance

Definitions of the Grounds Standards in the following topics are taken from the APPA list of APPA Grounds Standards.

State-of-the-Art Maintenance

This highest level of Grounds Maintenance is associated with high-traffic urban areas, such as public squares, malls, or college/university campuses and is defined by the following requirements.

Turf Care. Grass height maintained, mowed at least once every five working days, aeration as required but not less than four times per year, reseeding or sodding as needed. Weed control to be practiced so that no more than 1% of the surface has weeds present.
Fertilizer. Adequate fertilization applied, application rates and times should ensure an even supply of nutrients for the entire year.
Irrigation. Sprinkler irrigated-electric automatic commonly used. Frequency of use follows rainfall, temperature, season length, and demands of plant material.
Litter Control. Minimum of once per day, seven days per week.
Pruning. Frequency dictated primarily by species and variety of trees and shrubs. Timing scheduled to coincide with low demand periods or to take advantage of special growing characteristics.
Disease and Insect Control. Avoid public awareness of any problems.
Snow Removal. Starts the same day that accumulations of .5 inch are present. At no time will snow be permitted to cover transportation or parking surfaces longer than noon of the day after the snow stops.
Surfaces. Sweeping, cleaning, and washing of surfaces should be done so that at no time does an accumulation of sand, dirt, or leaves distract from the looks or safety of the area.
Repairs. Repairs to all elements of the design should be done immediately provided replacement parts and technicians are available.
Inspections. A staff member should conduct inspections daily.
Floral Plantings. Multiple plantings are scheduled, usually for at least two blooming cycles per year. Maximum care, including watering, fertilizing, disease control, disbudding, and weeding, is necessary. Weeding flowers and shrubs is done a minimum of once per week. The desired standard is essentially weed free.

High-Level Maintenance

The second highest level of grounds maintenance is associated with well-developed public areas such as public squares, malls and college/university campuses and is defined by the following requirements.

Turf Care. Grass cut once every five working days, aeration as required but not less than two times per year, reseeding or sodding when bare spots are present. Weed control practiced when weeds present a visible problem or when weeds represent 5% of the turf surface.
Fertilizer. Adequate fertilizer level to ensure that all plant materials are healthy and growing vigorously. Distribution should ensure an even supply of nutrients for the entire year.
Irrigation. Sprinkler irrigated-electric automatic commonly used. Frequency of use follows rainfall, temperature, season length, and demands of plant material.
Litter Control. Minimum of once per day, five days per week. High use may dictate daily or more frequent cleaning.
Pruning. Usually done at least once per season unless species planted dictate more frequent attention.
Disease and Insect Control. Usually done when disease or insects are inflicting noticeable damage, are reducing vigor of plant material, or could be considered a bother to the public. Some minor problems may be tolerated at this level.
Snow Removal. Snow removed by noon of the day following snowfall.
Surfaces. Should be cleaned, repaired, repainted, or replaced when their appearances have noticeably deteriorated.
Repairs. Should be done whenever safety, function, or appearance is in question.
Inspections. Inspection should be conducted by some staff member at least once a day when regular staff is scheduled.
Floral Plantings. Normally, no more complex than two rotations of bloom per year. Care cycle is usually at least once per week, but watering may be more frequent. Health and vigor dictate cycle of fertilization and disease control. Beds essentially kept weed free.

Moderate-Level Maintenance

The third level of grounds maintenance is associated with locations that have moderate to low levels of development or visitation and is defined by the following requirements.

Turf Care. Grass cut once every ten working days. Normally not aerated. Reseeding or sodding done only when major bare spots appear. Weed control used when 50% of small areas are weed infested or when 15% of the general turf is infested.
Fertilizer. Applied only when turf vigor seems to be low. Low-level application done once per year.
Irrigation. Dependent on climate. When area rainfall is greater than 25 inches per year, rely on natural rainfall. When area rainfall is less than 25 inches per year, use some form of supplemental irrigation.
Litter Control. Minimum service of two to three times per week.
Pruning. When required for health or reasonable appearance. With most tree and shrub species, pruning performed once every two to three years.
Disease and Insect Control. Done only to address epidemics or serious complaints.
Snow Removal. Snow removal done based on local law requirements but generally accomplished by the day following snowfall. Some crosswalks or surfaces may not be cleared at all.
Surfaces. Cleaned on a complaint basis. Repaired or replaced as budget allows.
Repairs. Should be done whenever safety or function is in question.
Inspections. Inspections are conducted once per week.
Floral Plantings. Only perennials or flowering trees or shrubs.

Moderately Low-Level Maintenance

The fourth level of grounds maintenance is associated with locations affected by budget restrictions that cannot afford a high level of maintenance and is defined by the following requirements.

Turf Care. Low-frequency mowing scheduled based on species. Low growing grasses may not be mowed. High grasses may receive periodic mowing. Weed control limited to legal requirements for noxious weeds.
Fertilizer. Not fertilized.
Irrigation. No irrigation.
Litter Control. Once per week or less. Complaints may increase level above one servicing.
Pruning. No regular trimming. Safety or damage from weather may dictate actual work schedule.
Disease and Insect Control. None except where the problem is epidemic and the epidemic condition threatens resources or the public.
Snow Removal. Snow removal done based on local law requirements but generally accomplished by the day following snowfall. Some crosswalks or surfaces may not be cleared at all.
Surfaces. Replaced or repaired when safety is a concern and when budget is available.
Repairs. Should be done whenever safety or function is in question.
Inspections. Inspections are conducted once per month.
Floral Plantings. None. May have wildflowers, perennials, flowering trees, or shrubs in place.

Minimum-Level Maintenance

The lowest level of grounds maintenance is associated with locations that have severe budget restrictions and is defined by the following requirements.

Turf Care. Low-frequency mowing scheduled based on species. Low growing grasses may not be mowed. High grasses may receive periodic mowing. Weed control limited to legal requirements for noxious weeds.
Fertilizer. Not fertilized.
Irrigation. No irrigation.
Litter Control. On demand or complaint basis.
Pruning. No pruning unless safety is involved.
Disease and Insect Control. No control except in epidemic or safety situations.
Snow Removal. Snow removal done based on local law requirements but generally accomplished by the day following snowfall. Some crosswalks or surfaces may not be cleared at all.
Surfaces. Services only when safety is a consideration.
Repairs. Should be done whenever safety or function is in question.
Inspections. Inspections are conducted once per month.
Floral Plantings. None. May have wildflowers, perennials, flowering trees, or shrubs in place.

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