Local Governments want to Regulate Fertilizer by Commercial Applicators

Goverment to Ban Fertilizers

There is trend in local governments to strictly regulate the use, amounts and type of fertilizers applied to landscapes by commercial applicators (lawn spraying companies, maintenance companies, etc). Currently Pinellas County governments are investigating the regulation of fertilizers for landscapes.

The science and politics are complicated.

The impact is predictable: Reduction in the quality and appearance of landscapes just like the reduction in irrigation use has reduced the appearances of landscapes. <

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The argument for the regulation is these regulations will protect water bodies (lakes, ponds, bays, etc) from "nitrogen runoff". The obvious flip side is the reduction in the health and vigor of landscapes.

One myth often associated with these regulations is that nitrogen applied to lawns ends up in the water bodies – "nitrogen runoff". The truth is that when you raise the fertility of an area – you raise the fertility of the area – lawns, ponds and lakes. There is no discretion between soil and water. You raise the fertility of the land surrounding a lake; you will raise the fertility of the lake. You lower the fertility of the land surrounding a lake; you will lower the fertility of the lake.

Therefore what these regulations are intended to do is to lower the fertility of landscapes to lower the fertility of the water bodies. The results will be less fertile lawns and landscapes and less fertile water bodies.

I am doing everything I can do to comply with the regulations, but I also know that you cannot have your cake and eat it too! Irrigated lawns and landscapes by their own processes – whether fertilized or not - will raise the fertility of an area. Natural landscapes of "Pines and Palmettos" will return the water bodies to their natural state. Half measures will create half fertile lawns and half fertile lakes – which satisfies neither the homeowner nor the environmentalist.

However the homeowner will be unregulated and will be able to apply as much fertilizer as they desire.