TAVARES — Lake County officials remind residents to use a slow release fertilizer this spring before the summer blackout period begins.
Officials want to remind residents of the Lake County ordinance introduced by the Keep Lake Beautiful Committee and approved by the Board of County Commissioners in 2017 which restricts the application of phosphorus and nitrogen during the summer to help reduce nutrient-loading in urban landscapes.
Residents living in unincorporated areas of Lake County are urged to fertilize their yard as soon as possible when turfgrass roots have recovered from winter dormancy and before the start of the summer fertilizer application ban on June 1.
The ordinance prohibits residents from applying fertilizers that contain nitrogen and phosphorus to turn or landscaping between June 1 and September 30 and also requires that fertilizers contain a minimum 50% slow-release nitrogen content and prohibits fertilizer from being applied within 15 feet of any body of water.
The ordinance was implemented as nutrient impairment of waterbodies and springs have become a major concern in Lake County and throughout the state.
Excess nutrients change the ecological balance of a waterbody and cause water quality issues including persistent algae blooms.
Over half of Florida’s counties have adopted similar fertilizer ordinances including neighboring counties such as Marion, Orange, Volusia, and Seminole Counties.
For more information on the Lake County Fertilizer Ordinance, visit the ordinance web page at www.lakecountyfl.gov/fertilizer.
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