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Urban Fertilizer Use and Tampa Bay

The type and amount of lawn and landscape fertilizer you use, as well as when you apply it, can have an impact on the health of Tampa Bay.

Most fertilizers, even organic fertilizers, contain nitrogen and phosphorous, nutrients that are essential to plant growth. But too much nitrogen and phosphorous flowing into waterways can cause harmful algae blooms that lower oxygen levels, turn the water a green or rust color, and lead to fish kills. In fact, excess nitrogen is the number one pollutant in Tampa Bay. Local governments spend millions of dollars each year to remove nitrogen from water bodies through various stormwater treatment methods.

TBEP encourages homeowners to install landscapes that reduce the use of turf grass, or eliminate it entirely. To look its best, turfgrass requires significant amounts of water, fertilizers and pesticides. Instead, consider using mulched beds, ground covers and shrubs that don't require as much water or maintenance.

The Florida Legislature recently endorsed "Florida-Friendly" landscaping by passing a law in 2009 that bars Homeowner Associations in deed-restricted communities from preventing their residents from installing "Florida-Friendly" landscapes that minimize or eliminate turf areas.

Fertilizer Use Guidelines

At the request of its Policy Board, the Estuary Program has developed a series of Guidelines for Use of Lawn and Landscape Fertilizer. Recommendations include:

• Avoiding use of lawn/landscape fertilizers containing Nitrogen or Phosphorous from June 1-September 30 each year to keep summer rains from washing fertilizer residues into bays, ponds, lakes or rivers.
• Using a slow-release fertilizer that provides food to grass and landscape plants slowly, rather than all at once.
• Maintaining a 10-foot "fertilizer-free" zone around any waterway or wetland.
• Sweeping up any fertilizer granules that get on paved areas such as roads and driveways, where they can wash into storm drains with rainfall and then be carried to water bodies.
• Homeowners who use reclaimed water to water their landscape should check with their utility provider to find out how much nitrogen is in the reclaimed water. They may not need to use as much, or any, additional fertilizer to keep their landscape healthy.

TBEP developed a Model Fertilizer Use Ordinance that is now being considered by several communities in the Tampa Bay region.

» Click here to read the ordinance (PDF format).

The ordinance is intended to reduce nitrogen pollution from stormwater flowing into the bay and other surface waters. TBEP scientists estimate that even a modest 50% compliance rate with the ordinance could reduce the amount of nitrogen entering Tampa Bay each year by 84 tons.

Regional Fertilizer Education Campaign Now Being Developed

TBEP now is developing a regional education campaign to inform homeowners about the fertilizer use guidelines and enlist their cooperation. In summer 299, TBEP sponsored a series of Focus Groups to assess homeowners' knowledge of fertilizer use and their current practices, and to determine what messages are most likely to lead to a change in fertilizer practices.

» Click here to read the Final Report from this project (PDF format).