Landscape Maintenance and Management
Maintenance questions test how designed landscapes perform over time. Know the core practices: pruning, mowing, fertilization, mulching, weed and pest management, and seasonal cleanup. Understand pruning types (heading, thinning, renewal) and timing - prune flowering shrubs after bloom if they flower on old wood; avoid heavy pruning before dormancy break. Traps include topping trees (harmful), shearing plants that should be selectively pruned, and fertilizing at the wrong time (e.g., promoting tender growth before frost).
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a frequent topic: monitor, identify, set thresholds, then use cultural, biological, mechanical, and - last - chemical controls. Know the difference between preventive and reactive treatment, and why correct diagnosis precedes spraying. Understand soil testing as the basis for fertilization rather than a calendar.
Mowing: follow the one-third rule (never remove more than one-third of blade height per cut) and keep mower height appropriate to species and season. Mulch 2-3 in to suppress weeds and retain moisture, but avoid volcanoes around trunks. Irrigation audits and controller adjustments are part of ongoing management.
Management also covers scheduling, crew productivity, and records. Know that a maintenance calendar sequences tasks by season and plant phenology, and that contract specifications define frequency and standards (e.g., mow height, edging, response time).
Worked rule of thumb: if turf is 3 in tall and the target is 2 in, you can cut 1 in (one-third of 3 in) - do not drop to 1.5 in in one pass. For shrubs, thin no more than about one-third of old stems per year for renewal.
Traps: confusing "maintenance" with "installation," and treating IPM as "spray first."