The Woodlands Township Prepares for Wildflower Season Roadway Maintenance

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The Woodlands Township, through contracted services, maintains several hundred miles of road rights of way and over 450 village and neighborhood entries. These areas are maintained on various schedules depending upon the adopted standards. The goal with the maintenance program is to be in harmony with nature, therefore, maintenance standards and schedules were developed around this philosophy. For example, neighborhood entries with improved landscapes consisting of groundcovers and irrigated grass, are maintained approximately every ten days. The roadsides of major thoroughfares and collector streets are left as much as possible to the natural progression of Mother Nature, with some help of seeding wildflowers. Roadsides are mowed approximately 18 times per year beginning after the wildflower season. To further enhance the maintenance standards additional funds are allocated to provide up to three additional roadside mowing cycles per year if weather conditions warrant.

During the months of January to March, town wide roads such as Gosling, Lake Woodlands, Woodlands Parkway, etc. and collector streets such as Timarron, Sylvan Forest, Shadowbend, etc. are sculpture mowed, as needed, to help ensure viable future stands of wildflowers and to maintain sightlines and encroachment past the curb lines. After the commencement of the wildflower season, usually, the months of March to May, all roads and streets are mowed on a two-week cycle depending weather conditions.

Furthermore, during the hot weather season the roadsides may appear as though they haven’t been mowed for quite some time and look “shaggy” or unkempt. That “shaggy” or unkempt appearance is often due to Bahia grass (Bah- HEE- yah) which is easily identified by its prominent V-shaped blade along with a stem or seed head that can reach up to 30 inches tall. When weather conditions bring high temperatures, rain, humidity, and long growing days, Bahia can grow more than one foot high in less than a week. While this grass may appear to be unattractive in certain locations, there are benefits to this grass. Bahia provides value in assisting with limiting soil erosion, it has low water and fertilizer requirements, and it provides cover for wildflowers. This plan is intended to improve the Township’s ability to manage situational aesthetics while ensuring maintenance practices adhere to the principles of “in harmony with nature.”

The Woodlands Township encourages residents to enjoy the natural surroundings of The Woodlands. For additional information, please call 281.210.3900 or email jdavis@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.