(A) General minimum requirements. The following standards shall be considered the minimum requirements for the installation of all landscaping within Sunset Valley.
(1) Installation requirements. All landscape materials shall be installed according to ASNS standards. This requirement will be monitored by the city or its designated agent.
(2) Anti-transpirants - general. In order to reduce the transpiration rate of plant material during the installation process, anti-transpirants may be used. Anti-transpirants reduce the amount of water loss through the leaves of plant material during installation, thereby reducing the amount of water required for the survival of the plants. Anti-transpirants may be used on all permitted landscape installation projects.
(3) It shall be the responsibility of each private property owner to remove any dead, diseased or dangerous trees or shrubs, or parts thereof, which overhang or interfere with traffic control devices, public sidewalks, rights-of-way or property owned by the city. The city shall have the authority to order the removal of any such trees or shrubs.
(B) Watering.
(1) All watering of planted areas shall be managed so as to:
(a) Maintain healthy flora.
(b) Make plant material more drought tolerant.
(c) Avoid excessive turf growth.
(d) Minimize fungus growth.
(e) Stimulate deep root growth.
(f) Minimize leaching of fertilizer.
(g) Minimize cold damage.
(h) Minimize runoff.
(2) Watering of turf areas. All watering of turf areas shall be accomplished on an as needed basis. Buffalo grass may not require watering even when wilting. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed so as to preclude the withholding of water from turf beyond the stage of turf wilt.
(3) Promoting deep root growth of trees and shrubs. Watering of plants and trees should always be in a sufficient amount to thoroughly soak the root ball of the plant and the surrounding area, thereby promoting deep root growth and tolerance.
(4) Operation of automatic irrigation systems. Whenever possible, automatic irrigation systems should be operated between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m. or as designated by the City of Sunset Valley. Irrigating during these hours reduces fungus growth and loss of water due to evaporation.
(5) Maintenance of irrigation systems. Irrigation systems shall be constantly maintained to eliminate waste of water due to loss of heads, broken pipes or misadjusted nozzles and to adjust controller programs to reflect weather changes.
(6) All watering schedules must comply with applicable Sunset Valley water restrictions during droughts.
(C) Maintenance and replacement of dead material. The owner of the building, or the manager or agent of the owner, shall be responsible for the appearance of landscaping at all times and landscaping shall be kept free of refuse and debris. Ongoing maintenance shall include the replacement of dead plant material if that material was used to meet the requirements of this chapter. Should a tree die or be removed from which credit has been obtained pursuant to the terms of § 150.674, a smaller tree with a minimum caliper of two inches that will have a mature crown similar to the tree removed must be substituted within six months and the planting area or pervious cover provided for the larger tree retained.
(D) The required two to four-inch mulch layer shall be maintained on all landscape projects.