Planning for Spring

Even though the campus had quite a bit of snow this month, that doesn’t stop the Facilities Landscape and Grounds Maintenance team from preparing for beautiful spring weather. In January, before the snow hit and in-between storms, the team did a lot of winter pruning, tree thinning, and cleaning out the moats of debris around many of the residential colleges.
 
“There are tremendous health benefits to plants and shrubs if you prune when they are dormant. Also, the team can concentrate on pruning in winter when it’s not as busy,” said Joseph Signore, Supervisor Landscape and Maintenance Services.
 
Joe holds a training class annually, open to everyone, entitled “What you should know before you prune.” The training covers dormant corrective pruning techniques. Unfortunately, this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the class was not offered.
 
Before February’s multiple snowstorms, the team also focused on final leaf clean-ups. “With snow comes additional duties, including plowing, shoveling, salting, and pretreating with brine. It’s probably an average snowfall year, but we just got it all in one month!” said Joe Signore.
 
To keep the vast campus grounds neat and gorgeous throughout the year, Joe plans using a very detailed chart. Procedures are broken down weekly by operation, including when to seed, prune, and plant flowers. The master gardeners refer to this spreadsheet when planning their seasonal operations and can share it with customers who may have questions about upkeep. “Using my Gantt Chart helps keep everyone informed, including my team and our customers,” said Joe.
 
This year, the first day of spring is Saturday, March 20, 2021!
 
Special thanks to:
 
Mark McCloud, Director of Services and Grounds Maintenance and the entire Landscape and Grounds Maintenance team.