Landscape

• Landscape administrative duties are part of the daily operations of the landscape and the IPM unit. Answering calls, replying to messages/emails, managing correspondences/memos, work progress reports, taking notes, maintaining files, ordering supplies, checking the warehouse inventory and material, preparing, reimbursement manuals, and keeping the working crews organized, and functional to ensure the efficient performance. Provide motivation and make them realize landscape goals. It’s the connecting link between landscape staff and senior management
• Using communication facilities and computers to design new drawings for landscape areas

Release Predators and Spraying Plants Extracts

• Pioneer technique aims to control the pest population density, keep it from reaching the economic injury level, via using predator’s insect-eating the pests and preserve the plants' greenery, minimize the use of pesticides and reduce hazards pollution. Spraying natural plants extractions that kill insects directly saves time and cost
• The biological agents and the natural plant extractions have been prepared at the “Applied Biological Control Laboratory" in the faculty of Agriculture-Cairo University to release/spray them over designated or infected spots on campus
• The release is applied once every month by three to five landscape gardeners under landscape engineers’ supervision

• The process of inspecting/counting the captured red weevils in the pheromone traps, eliminating them, refilling the trap with clean water at the designated point, replacing the pheromone package every three months, and affirming these data in a monthly report
• There’re a number of 24 clean perforated plastic containers spread out all over the whole campus to protect the palm trees from these fatal insects, the first 15 cm from the container basement is buried in soil, and the perforated trap cover had been covered with palm bark and the pheromone is suspended under trap cover with adhesive tape
• Traps' regular inspection would be done once every week, clean up the cover from debris, count the insects if any, check the water level, change the dirty water with a clean one to the appropriate level, and change the pheromone package every three months. Using the rubber gloves, water cane, and adhesive tape
• Spray the fungicides in the infected palm trees with crocked tip once every 15 days till recovery
• The regular traps inspection would be once every week/four times per month and applied all over the year by two dead palm technicians under the landscape engineers' supervision

• The process of gathering plant residues comes from replanting, pruning/trimming, fallen fruits, and leaves mowing, weeding, and training the green fences from working zones and transferring them to the compost pile for composting
• The tractor, trailer, trash boxes, and the labor must wear heavy safety gloves
• Applied every working day all over the year in Watson house, AUC garden. Every week for the entrance gates two to three landscape gardeners collect plant residues under the landscape engineers’ supervision

• The process of using plant residues produced from trimming, mowing, and plant replacement that gathered in a pile for aerobic conditions to decompose naturally. It’s a form of plant waste disposal and applies one of the eco-garden concepts
• The final compost product is full of good nutrients helping in plant growth and can be used to fertilize plants, amend poor soil, and aid in water retention
• Making a heap of wet organic matter: leaves, grass, and waiting for the materials to break down into compost after a period of months. Using; a tractor, shredder, clean water for wetting, and loader for regularly turning over the pile
• The heap would be ready to use within four months in summer and after six months in winter, applied by one to three from landscape gardeners landscape engineers’ supervision

• The process of eliminating died, broken, infected, and damaged fronds in date palm trees and removing the first 70 cm from the bark under the treetop sector
• This seasonal process encourages the tree to stimulate growth, ease pollination, expose it to sunlight, and reduce infection with disease, pests, and fungi. Using the frond cutter, heavy safety gloves, rope, tractor, and trailer
• Applied all over the year by three to five landscape technicians under landscape engineers' supervision

• The process of preservation of landscape machinery includes regular repairing, replacement of the filters, change engines – gear and hydraulic oils, lubrication, bearings replacement and must be adjusted. Fluids must be at proper levels. Belts, wheels, and pulleys must be free of excessive wear and must be properly adjusted and aligned
• Using appropriate mechanical tools for each type of repair, wear safety gloves and safety footwear
• Applied once every week and/or as stated in the machine operation manual and landscape machinery logs, carried out by the senior equipment operator with two to three dailies and under the landscape associate director's supervision

• Collect the ripe fruits from the fruit trees on campus and prepare them for sale at a symbolic price or distributed freely to the AUC community. This includes cleaning/washing the yield, and weight packaging for selling in a landscape outlet nearby the AUC bus terminal
• The tractor, trailer, plastic containers, fruit cutter, and the labor must wear gloves. After harvesting fruits move the yield to the fruits station in the landscape warehouse for selling preparations
• Seasonally according to fruit maturity time starting from November to August every year three to five landscape gardeners harvest under landscape engineers’ supervision

• The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a contemporary/robust approach to pest control; it’s a management system that utilizes all suitable techniques and combinations of multiple control methods whether agricultural, biological, organic, or chemicals substances to maintain the pest population at levels below those causing economic injury to consider the interests of and impacts on producers, society, and the environment. It’s the key to promoting sustainable agricultural land-use systems particularly, with increasing recognition of environmental problems associated with synthetic pesticide applications
• The IPM team carried out and follows up on the insects' categories and their population densities on campus to conduct the appropriate integrated control methods against insects, moreover, a new/unpredictable mission has been come up which is the fumigation/disinfection against the COVID-19 virus, in the whole AUC campuses; Tahrir Square and New Cairo campuses', buildings, faculty housing and outer residence plots, main warehouses and the buses in the bus terminal, simultaneously with pesticides spraying and rodents’ traps,  treat the hives of honey bees and yellow jacket hornet that been initiated to become a hazard all over campus
• While working, the IPM technicians must use/wear; the safety/medical gloves, sterilization plastic bodysuit, back carry sprayers, ultra-volume sprayers, and full face mask, and make sure to close windows before disinfection starts and close the room after fumigation for an hour. Using recommended materials that include the safety material data sheet for each, as for disinfection; using the Vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP 3 %) as World Health Organization (WHO) recommended as an official chemical for decontamination of hospital isolation rooms and also considered as one of the most effective chemicals which can be used to sterilize such surface against coronavirus
• Applied all over the year. Four technicians for pest control in the external areas. Four technicians in internal areas two of them respond to the facility and operation requests under landscape engineer supervision

• It’s the process of maintaining the lawn at the beginning of growth time (March/April) every year to regenerate new growth via stimulating the roots, thus keeping the lawn in shape till the next year. This significant process is also called ‘’Top Dressing’’ and due to class time in AUC; we usually conduct this process at the end of the semester, throughout July every year
• The Top-Dressing process includes deeply/hard mowing, aeration would create tiny holes that provide extra oxygen to the soil. These small holes make the soil particles disintegrate, and also allow for more nutrients and water to reach the root. The verticut aims to regenerate new roots’ growth and eliminate dead roots. Cleaning the residues, spraying fungi and pesticides, and finally, covering the surface layer of the lawn/soil with a new soil mixture containing sand and compost for stimulating the growth. After two weeks, the grass got recovered and retrieves its beautiful green shape
• Use of riding mowers, aerator, verticut machine, fertilizer spreader, topdressing machine, trash baskets, tractor and trailer, manual tools like sharp hoe, pickaxe, lawn broom
• Applied during July every year by 10-15 from landscape equipment operators, technicians, and dailies under landscape engineers' supervision

• The process of cutting the grass on a lawn with a lawnmower
• The rate of grass growth and desired height determine how often we need to mow. Typically, mowing two to three times per week during the growing season should be sufficient to keep the lawn healthy. Moreover, we can reduce the frequency of cutting to every other week, as necessary. Using manual and riding mowers, rubber gloves, trash baskets, tractor, and trailer
• Applied all over the year by three to five from landscape equipment operators, and laborers under landscape engineers' supervision

• It’s the application of water to soil for the purpose of supplying the moisture essential for plant growth/life. Irrigation plays a vital role in keeping plants alive and increasing the crops' yields. The landscape already has an advanced irrigation site control system/Rain Bird’s software version is 3.1.7, that adopted with campus needs and applicable to water management and sustainability ideas that symbolize crucial targets for the landscape. The system is controlling irrigation valve activation through two wires connecting to the interface box, taking the data from the controller boxes and sending back the action to open or close the valves. This software interfaces are on-screen with the site map including all valves and gives light signals for opening valves or/and for any broken or leakages to stop. The Rain Baird software enables us to manage:
  • The water consumption that is used in watering the campus plants according to the plants’ water requirements on a daily basis through activating/deactivating the irrigation valves
  • Managing the irrigation water while an emergency or when a break occurs in the pipelines net
  • The weather station, which is one of the software components attached to the central computer, gives us needed information: concerning temperature and humidity that help in calculating the actual plants’ water requirements
• Using the site control computer, the irrigation crews carried out the regular/manual maintenance using the ordinary plumber tools, monitors irrigation network activation, follows up on the efficiency of the irrigation network during activation, and applies fertilization through the central injection pump to the irrigation network
• Applied all over the year, eight to nine from landscape technicians irrigate under landscape engineers' supervision

• The nursery is a place where plants seedlings/saplings or any other plants materials are raised, multiplied/propagated for the in-campus planting/replanting process. The nursery's importance comes from the fact that the young seedlings require special attention during the first few weeks after germination or cuttings like watering, removing weeds from plant pots, fertigation, and pest control. The majority of the indoor plants and fruit crops are propagated by vegetative means and placed in the nursery to be grown to usable size for planting. The nursery can also be used for tree conservation for endorsement in agricultural emergencies or unpredictable circumstances that might occur on campus
• Trimming/pruning the conservation trees, maintaining and provision of indoor plants to AUC, maintaining and watering a number of 3,000 indoor plants located at AUC offices including The President Office, the Provost Office, high administration offices, and Watson House. Moreover, coordination and organizing indoor plants provision for the whole AUC events including the commencement ceremonies
• While working the gardners must use the safety gloves, trimming scissors, cutting scissors, water cane, wheelbarrows, back carry sprayers, and full-face masks when spraying pesticides by three to seven landscape technicians and dailies under landscape engineers' supervision

• Painting the first 1.5 meter height of the tree trunk with white board dough using water-based latex paint mixed with pesticide and fungicide substances to give the tree sort of protection against variable climate changes, prevent cracking and splitting of the tender new bark, which could lead to infections with disease, insects, fungus and borers. It’s preferable to be diluted at a rate of five Kilograms. Latex mixed with four to five quarts of water, 250 cm of pesticide, and 250 grams of fungicide
• The gardener should wear rubber gloves, face mask to protect himself. Draw the contour of tree trunk/branches with a hard edge brush. Pay attention to light and dark areas of the tree. Lock layer transparency and then paint the light and dark area of the tree. Paint vertical shapes to mimic tree bark patterns
• During February to April every year and after rains, a landscape laborer paints a number of 70 trees per day under the landscape engineers' supervision

• The act of setting seeds, saplings, and growing edible plants in prepared areas where plants are grown for commercial or decorative purposes. Replanting is the process of moving a dead plant/tree from the soil, digging the hole and adding an antifungal substance and placing another alive plant, in the same text, moving a fully germinated seedling (or mature plant) and replanting it in a permanent location for the growing season. It’s important to extend the flowering or fruit-bearing season of many plants throughout the year
• Before planting, there are some procedures that should be applied in the selected area such as cleaning the soil from debris, removing weeds thoroughly, loosening up the soil with a garden rake, hoe, or a hand tool (this aerates the soil and makes it easier for the roots to spread out). Spread a 10 cm height of compost on the planting area and rake it into the soil. Allocate the spatial points for holes as indicated in landscape drawing maps, for planting seeds, the depth and spacing of holes are determined according to plant varieties but usually dig the hole with 10 to 20 cm depth as the containers that they came in. Gently loosen the roots with fingers, and place the seedlings in the hole without tearing the tiny roots. Fill the hole with soil and press with their hands to make the soil compact around the plant. Water the seeds/plants thoroughly
• Applied all over the year by two technicians and five to eight dailies under landscape engineers' supervision

• Spraying and dusting, in agriculture, are considered the standard method of applying organic fertilizers, foliar nutrition liquids, weed control, pest-control chemicals, and other compounds on the plant’s surface
• Suspended in water, active chemical agents, or in an oil-based carrier must be added. The mixture is then applied as a fine mist to plants. Spreading-sticking agents/surfactants are also commonly added to spray mixtures to increase adhesion and wetting of waxy surfaces
• The sprayer machine; whether a back-carrying sprayer with 20 liters capacity or a motor sprayer with 600 liters and 1,000-liter capacity, the substance, water for dissolution, sticking agent, rubber gloves, and full-face mask must be dressed for personal protection
• Applied all over the year by one person for the back-carry sprayer and two persons for the motor sprayer

• Staking and guying make the stem straight and provide stability until the tree can support itself. The newly planted trees usually have abnormally small root systems that can’t physically support the larger above-ground growth (stem and leaves) and when the site is very windy consequently, it might uproot or damage the trees, and the stem bends excessively when not supported
• Staking materials vary depending on the situation and size of the tree. For small to average-sized trees (up to 1.5 - 2.5 meters in height), wooden stakes are sufficient. They should be at least 5 cm inches by 5 cm inches by 1.5 meters long. For larger or heavier trees, or trees in particularly windy situations, metal or thick plastic cables that are connected with metal anchors may be necessary. Three wires connected with three anchors per tree are enough. The anchors are usually shorter and stronger since they are driven deep into the ground and exposed only a few inches above the soil surface. Whether attaching the tree to stakes or guiding anchors, the rope, wires or metal cable should never come into contact with tree stems or branches. Any materials contacting the Stem should have a broad and smooth surface
• Straighten the tree soon after the windstorm has subsided, at least within a couple of days. If you can’t straighten it immediately, keep the root system moist with irrigation and mulch such as loose straw or burlap. Excavate under the heaved-up root system to the depth of the lifted mass of roots and soil. This allows the root and soil mass to settle back to a normal depth once the tree has been straightened. Install a triangular guying system, water thoroughly; backfill with loose soil to fill any open areas around the roots, water, and mulch the entire rooting area, and make sure that you Include the guying anchors within the mulched area. During this, the gardener should wear heavy safety gloves, use the mallet and wire rope cutter
• This process is essential when a new plantation of trees and after windy storms accompanied with heavy rains, conducted by two to three gardeners could straighten a number of 25 to 30 trees per day under landscape engineers' supervision

• Pruning is the process of selectively removing unwanted branches like dead, broken/damaged, and infected branches from a plant to improve its structure, stimulate new healthy growth and regenerate the dormant lateral buds to grow
• The hard trim is a process that is conducted in case of moving a big size plant/tree during the summer or active time for nuclear cytoplasm flow in the plant in order to make a balance between the vegetative growth and the root system to keep the plant alive and regenerate the growth again
• Garden trimming scissors, 2-3 m height ladder, telescopic boom lift, using heavy safety hand and gloves and tree saw
• Regular trimming would be upon the inspection tour on campus from November to January and another trim during April every year by three to five from landscape technicians under landscape engineers' supervision

• Landscape warehouse is a place/building where received agricultural raw materials or/and manufactured stuff may be stored prior to their distribution in working areas on campus. Gives support to sorting, packaging, and processing the in-campus yield for selling them to the AUC community
• The storekeeper uses the computer and ordinary logs and performs an array of functions that may include: receiving, inspecting, and accepting the incoming agricultural, irrigation supplies, tools, and fuel from outside vendors and providing landscape crews with the needed supplies, processing incoming stock and materials, picking and filling stuff orders from stock, prepare goods inventory and balance reports/logs, sorting, packing and sale the campus yield at landscape outlet, manage, organize supplies on shelves and retrieve stocks in the warehouse under the AUC safety procedures
• Applied all over the year by two storekeepers and five to eight dailies when unloading shipments

• The process of eliminating/removing the unwanted invasive plants that grow voluntarily in-between crops from the garden or an area and preventing them from flowering, developing seeds, and ultimately reproducing. This would loosen the soil, which helps in the penetration of water to the roots of the cultivated plants, improves the appearance of the landscape, allows more room for desired plants to grow, and prevents weeds from robbing nutrients and moisture needed for the cultivated plants to grow from soil and to resist plant diseases
• Young weeds are often picked by hand or pulled up by the roots before they are 8 cm high and discarded away. Larger weeds require the use of garden tools like a sharp hoe, pickaxe and back carry sprayer to spray herbicides for the permanent weeds
• Regular weeding takes place once weeds emerge from the soil. This process takes place the whole year from January to December, and after the rainy season. This is applied by one landscape laborer

• The process of applying/adding a mixture of manure or compost, chemical fertilizers such as phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, and sulphur to the soil under plants when temperatures are cooler and days are shorter to initiate a nutrition stock that takes up and stored in the roots and stems to be used by the plant for stimulate/resume growth during spring
• Clean up rotting and finished plants, remove invasive weeds that may have taken hold over the growing season, and side-dress with compost and manure. They poke and pour method (divvying up fertilizer into holes drilled into the soil in concentric circles around the base of the tree), or placing fertilizer pills, packets, or spikes in the root zone. Using the heavy safety gloves, shovels, picks, rakes, hoe, wheelbarrows, tractor, and trailer
• Applied during November, December and January every year by ten persons daily for four working weeks under landscape engineers' supervision

• It’s the process of trimming the lawn edge of getting rid of those pesky blades of grass and weeds that hand over the lawn’s side. Edging has the ability to give lawns an extra dimension of crispness; a professional-looking addition to any landscape
• Use of power edger or weed Wacker primarily around sidewalks and footpaths. Moreover, we can reduce the frequency of cutting to every other week, as necessary. Using manual and riding mowers, rubber gloves, trash baskets, tractor, and trailer
• Applied all over the year by three to five landscape technicians and laborers under landscape engineers' supervision

• All requests for indoor plants from any of the AUC departments/offices must be via e-mail to [email protected], for checking the availability, then send to the requester the indoor plants catalog to choose the plants. The landscape engineer is responsible for inspecting the lighting and other details that could negatively affect the plants
• The landscape engineer inspects the location like lighting and other details that could negatively affect the plants
• After reassuring the plants by the requester, we send the estimated cost to confirm
• After receiving confirmation from the requester, we contact the registered vendor to send the plants, inspect and prepare them for the office and finally the vendor sends the quotation and the taxes invoice to the requester to transfer the money to the vendor accountant

• All requests for indoor plants provision in events from the AUC departments/offices and Watson House must be via e-mail to [email protected]
• The landscape engineer and his team inspect the location and coordinate with the responsible persons the details, then send plants or the centerpieces to them freely after finishing the event the team restores the plants and moves them to the greenhouse nursery
• The request is made a minimum of one day before the desired event date (Not less than 24 hours before the intended service delivery time, before 3 pm and only during working days)

All requests for IPM spraying or fumigation from any of the AUC departments/offices must be via e-mail to [email protected].

If any of the AUC faculty departments request a demonstration lecture and/or field tour to know more about the AUC landscape and its impact on the campus sustainability must be via email at [email protected] or through the AUC sustainability office.

If any of the AUC departments requests for help and needs support using the landscape equipment or laborers, must be via email at [email protected] or directly through phone contacts.

All requests related to landscape and IPM must be before 3 pm and only during working days as landscape and IPM unit operating hours are from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm, Sunday to Thursday.