People have doctors, animals have veterinarians and plants have agronomists - agronomists are the “health care providers” for soil and plants.

A recent study by funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) proves St Augustine lawns do not pollute.This is good news to lawn owners for two reasons:

1 - The study proves that a St Augustine grass lawn is best ground cover for urban environments to reduce pollutants in our water bodies and,

2 - Eliminates Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) reasons for reducing water and fertilizers usage on St Augustine Lawns because state funded research clearly shows that lawns are good for the urban environment.

Pinellas County has put in place the most strict fertilizer restrictions in Florida to clean our Florida waterways. Part of the restrictions require that all contractors who apply fertilizer to lawns and ornamentals to be trained and certified in the proper use of fertilizer.

I am now trained and certified in Green Industry best management practices and I can “proudly” display my sticker on the service truck.

In 2008  Sierra Club, Earth Justice and other radical environmental groups sued the EPA and forced them to produce new clean water rules. These new rules are a direct assault on all things green and edible. Fertilizers, being the pet peeve of environmentalists, are directly impacted by the new rules. Now local governments will be forced to regulate the use of all fertilizers – and trust me their knowledge and understanding or soils and fertility is limited to what the Sierra Club and Earth Justice is telling them – which is not good. You can read the EPA's Water Quality Standards here.