Landscape Installation & Establishment

  1. Review the Inspection and Contract Administration Guidelines for Mn/DOT Landscape projects.
  2. Ensure the certificate of compliance, project schedule, and other required documentation is provided and discussed at the preconstruction conference. Receive any requests for substitutions and confer with the landscape architect prior to acceptance.
  3. Ensure that the landscape contractor’s superintendents and supervisors are on the Mn/DOT list of certified landscape specialists. Examine required Dept of Agriculture certificates to ensure landscape contractor is licensed as a nursery stock dealer or grower and has certified pesticide applicators if weed spraying is necessary.
  4. Ensure that the landscape contractor provides certificates of compliance, labels, shipping papers/invoices, test results, and notifications prior to beginning the work.
  5. Sample compost with at least 6-weeks of lead-time. Send samples for testing if compost is supplied by non-certified sources.
  6. Ensure materials commitments have been secured, initial bed preparations equipment has been mobilized, existing vegetation is protected, and a progress schedule has been approved before approving partial payment for preparatory work.
  7. Review and approve or adjust the contractor’s plant layout and staking.
  8. Ensure that herbicide application is done according to manufacturer’s label and the applicator is licensed in categories Commercial A and J.
  9. Ensure that the contractor demonstrates competence by completing planting hole and bed cultivation and incorporation of amendments in one planting bed and in one tree planting location before proceeding with further cultivation. Ensure that weather conditions are suitable prior to the beginning cultivation.
  10. Require additional cultivation or subsoiling in planting areas where compaction exceeds 200 pounds per square inch or 1400 Kpa. Ensure that the contractor has the required portable compaction tester during cultivation.
  11. Review guide for erosion control when soil beds are left open for an extended period.
  12. Inspect plant stock upon delivery for acceptable handling and delivery, type and form, size, health, and vigor. Recheck certificates of compliance and check invoice/shipping papers for compliance with specifications. Reject bundles of plants or individual trees if identification labels are not attached. Review requirements for minimum and maximum size criteria.
  13. Ensure that required notice has been provided, weather conditions are acceptable, and an appropriate Plant Installation Period is available before the contractor is permitted to begin planting.
  14.  Ensure that the contractor demonstrates required competence by completing one individual test planting for each plant type and root category method of planting (Bare Root (B. R.), Ball and Burlap (B&B), Container (Cont.), Machine Moved (M. M.)) before proceeding with the rest of the plantings.
  15. Ensure the contractor tests a representative sample of planting holes in all areas to ensure adequate soil drainage (at least ½ inch ir 12 mm. per hour). Ensure that the contractor adjusts planting locations or methods to compensate for areas of poor drainage.
  16. Ensure that the contractor digs planting holes to the correct depth and minimum widths specified.
  17. Ensure that plants are installed in accordance with the steps identified in the Standard Planting Details Sheets and special provisions.
  18. Ensure that all plants are acceptably planted, watered, and mulched.
  19. Ensure that all incidental protection items are in place and site is cleaned up and restored before approving partial payment for completion of planting operations.
  20. Assess liquidated damages, in the next appropriate Plant Installation Period, if delays could have been prevented and if the plant installation is not completed within the specified Plant Installation Period.
  21. Initial payment is up to, but not exceeding, 70 percent as paid in partial payments. Do not release 70 percent of payment if there are any documentable problems or concerns!
  22. Ensure that the contractor maintains the work and keeps plants in a healthy growing condition until final acceptance. Frequent job scouting by the inspector is required to provide needed direction and documentation as problems arise or persist. Ensure that the contractor provides the required notices prior to the beginning and changing plant establishment operations, and submits twice-monthly scouting reports April through October and once monthly November through March.
  23. Give written notification to the contractor to proceed with corrective measure if plant establishment operations have been inadequate, untimely, or unsatisfactory.
  24.  Require plant replacements only within an acceptable plant installation period and only when at least one year of the plant establishment period remains within the contract as specified or extended.
  25. Authorize interim partial payment for plant establishment work only when operations have been generally and continuously acceptable.
  26. Ensure that the work is in good order and plant establishment operations are not past due before commencing final inspection.
  27. Authorize full payment, reduced payment, no payment, and incentive payment as appropriate upon completion of final inspection.
  28. Negotiate extension of the contract for one year and require additional replacements or corrective measures if problems including plant loss are extensive at the end of the contract period.
  29. Maintain daily records and thorough inspection documentation to reveal patterns or indicators of problems conditions, materials, or performance.

References: Specification 2571, 2572, 3861, 3876 – 3882, and 3890. Inspection and Contract Administration Guidelines for Mn/DOT Landscape Projects.