ALEXIS THOMAS

Editor’s Note: Alexis Thomas in Indian River County’s Stormwater Educator and Fertilizer Enforcement Officer. Recently, the City of Vero Beach adopted a fertilizing ordinance mirroring that of Indian River County. 

As summer sizzles on, many homeowners are itching to apply the fertilizer they have always trusted to keep their lawns green and pristine. Don’t despair over the Fertilizer and Landscape Ordinance prohibitions! There are still Lagoon healthy ways to keep the yard green and prevent harmful runoff.

But first you might wonder, why has fertilizer with nitrogen and phosphorous been banned from June to the end of September? The rain that Florida receives daily in the summer does not water in fertilizer on your lawns, this rain only washes it down the street and into water bodies that can lead to the Lagoon. Nitrogen and phosphorous are two of the most harmful nutrients in the Lagoon right now. Keeping fertilizer off your lawns during the rainy season helps prevent these nutrients from further harming the Lagoon. Fertilizer is not the only problem, and the Ordinance is not going to fix the Lagoon by itself. But with time, the County is confident the Ordinance will have a positive effect on the Lagoon restoration.

Our Lagoon is plagued by many quandaries that multiple entities are trying to tackle. The Fertilizer Ordinance is our way of helping one piece of the problem, but this is not the only restoration project in affect. That is the main complaint I keep hearing, that fertilizer is not a big enough problem to put so much focus on. There is no single dilemma in the Lagoon to be tackled first, but if the multiple smaller problems we see can be tackled by different groups at the same time, we are likely to produce a faster restoration.

So what can you do to help? Firstly, follow the ordinance! From June 1st to September 30th do not fertilize with any product containing nitrogen or phosphorous; this is for both turf grass and landscape plants. To keep the yard green, add micronutrients like iron or manganese. Products like this can be found at your local garden supply store. If your soil is nutrient deficient, add compost or another soil amendment to boost the nutrient value for your plants. And adding Florida-Friendly plants will automatically decrease all of your maintenance needs.

Between October 1st and May 31st it is recommended to only fertilize twice, once in October at the end of the growing season and once in April at the beginning of the growing season. Rain is still something to watch out for! Never fertilize before a rain event, not only will it pollute the Lagoon, but it’s also just wasting money. Only use fertilizers that contain at least 50% slow release nitrogen and 0% phosphorous. Florida soils are naturally rich in phosphorous, and unless a soil test states otherwise, it should never be used on the lawn.

Also, in addition to the fertilizer, don’t forget to blow grass clippings back onto the yard or sweep them up to throw away. Decomposing grass clippings also release large amounts of nitrogen into the waterways. By placing the clippings back on your yard you increase the amount of nitrogen available to your lawn and decrease the need for nitrogen-rich fertilizer, a great way to reduce, reuse, and recycle!

These regulations are being enforced and hopefully everyone is educated well enough by now to know why this ordinance is so important to our Lagoon restoration. Many citizens are on board with the Ordinance and are helping to keep it enforced. If you see anyone applying fertilizer or blowing clippings into the street or canals, give me a call! I will be more than happy to talk to them to make sure they understand why these regulations are important. We need citizens who understand the Ordinance to educate those around them. The more everyone understands the Lagoon and the ways we can help clean it up, the faster progress will ensue.

More information on the ordinance can be found at: http://www.ircgov.com/Lagoon/Fertilizer/index.html. There you can find a comparison of the ordinances around the Indian River Lagoon, a list of compliant fertilizers for the dry season, where to find them, and information sheets on fertilizing through the summer. Bumper stickers to support the ordinance can be picked up for free at the Public Works Department in Building A of the County Administration Complex. They read “Save our Lagoon! No Fertilizer June 1- September 30” Show your support and get the word out there!

If you have questions about the Ordinance, or see a company or homeowner applying fertilizer, call me at 772-538-5254 or email athomas@ircgov.com. Together, as a community, we have hope that we can restore our Indian River Lagoon and the area we call home.