Specifications include, but are not limited to: 2.1 Contractors shall furnish and install approximately 1,173 trees for planting at designated locations throughout the City during the Fall 2024 season. Locations for plantings can be viewed at https://crgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/9b6fab2076424d0b96af793b4553fc68 2.2 Fall 2024 tree planting shall be completed between August 28, 2024 and November 15, 2024, unless prior written approval to work outside of this time period is given by the ReLeaf Program Manager, Carole Teator. 2.3 Trees shall be inspected by the City Staff prior to planting and any items found to be in non-compliance of the following specifications will be rejected. For the inspection, the trees will need to be organized so City Staff can easily evaluate the canopy, trunk and root ball of each tree. If this inspection is not performed, the awarded vendor will be required to remove and replace any trees deemed unacceptable by the City Staff during the Quality Control check. The contractor shall provide daily updates with location planted so that City Staff may complete a Quality Control Check on planting depth, size, condition, etc. 2.4 Contractors shall supply all labor, materials and necessary equipment for the planting of all trees to be purchased on this bid. 2.5 City staff will also provide an app for a tablet or cell phone. The Contractor shall enter the tree species and date planted. This app will allow the Contractor to place the asset into the GIS system at the correct location. 2.6 Specifications for Trees: 1. All deciduous trees shall be a minimum of 1 inch caliper, with a minimum height of 6 feet and a maximum height of 10 feet, unless otherwise specified. 2. All material shall be single stemmed, No. 1 grade trees unless otherwise specified. 3. If balled and burlapped stock is used, trees shall be dug and balled with heavy-duty burlap and laced with twine and/or a wire basket package. T h e ball shall have sufficient moisture according to best nursery practices. If wire baskets are used to support the root ball, a “low profile” basket shall be used. 4. If container stock is used, the container class size shall conform to ANSI Z60.1 for container stock and shall have a well-established root system reaching the sides of the container to maintain a firm ball, but shall not have excessive root growth encircling the inside of the container. Further, a container tree’s root system must be developed to hold its soil together, firm, whole and moist when taken from the container. 5. Only vigorous, healthy plants with a well-developed fibrous root system with no encircling roots, a well-formed canopy with a strong, intact central leader, straight trunk and specific characteristics of the species will be accepted. Trees shall be stout, show good twig growth for the past 3-5 years, normal twig development shall have 4 to 18 inches of growth per year characteristic to the species. Branches shall diverge from the main trunk with good U-shaped crotches. The bark shall be firm on the trunk with no indication that the trees have suffered from frost cracks, sun scald, lightning, mechanical injury, suckers or improper pruning. All trees shall be free from insects, insect damage, diseases and disease damage. Material found lacking in any of these characteristics shall be rejected at time of delivery or during the quality control check. 6. Trees shall not be sheared or formally shaped prior to planting. Any tree with evidence of pruning for a formal aesthetic, resulting in stubs or a reduced central leader, will be rejected. Any tree that has had the central leader reduced will be rejected. This determination will be at the discretion of the ReLeaf Program Manager. 7. Trunk caliper and taper shall be sufficient so that the lower five feet of the trunk remains vertical without a stake. Auxiliary stakes may be used to maintain a straight leader in the upper half of the tree. 8. All trees shall have a tag showing the species and variety. 9. Supplier shall provide proof with their bid submittal that all trees were grown as Midwest Nursery Stock from Hardiness Zones 6a or lower/colder.
