Laws & Ordinances:
Fertilizer-Related Ordinances

Fertilizer use has become an issue anyone working in the green industry should be aware of.  There has been an increasing amount of attention on the use of fertilizer in the landscape, as research suggests that runoff water carrying fertilizer from lawns etc. is a primary contributor to non-point source water pollution.  What does non-point source mean?  Well, it means just that - non point, like you can't exactly point to the source of pollution, but it does make a difference.

Agriculture has been a traditional source of non-point pollution as runoff from fields, or animal containment facilities adds nutrients and pesticide residues to surface or ground water.  Lately, more attention is being focused on the contributions that urban residential areas make to water pollution.  As Florida has experienced a wave of growth in population that is expected to continue, governments like the state, counties, and municipalities are trying to decrease the impact of this growth by establishing ordinances about landscape practices.

• Residential Fertilizer Use Workshops - The Tampa Bay Estuary Program

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If you would like to be responsible for polluting our water please raise your hand!

No one wants to be responsible for contaminating our natural resources!  At the same time, keeping up with different ordinances in different jurisdictions can cause confusion in the best of companies!

There is currently an effort underway to adopt the Florida Green Industries Best Management Practices for Protection of Water Resources in Florida [848KB pdf] as a state-wide standard for fertilizer use and other horticultural practices.  If we need ordinances, let's have them based on University of Florida research and Green Industry experience.

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2008 New Rules for Fertilizer Applications to Urban Turf

• Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Rule 5E-1.003: Labeling Requirements for Urban Turf Fertilizers [38KB pdf]
  - effective December 31, 2007
• Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Florida Consumer Fertilizer Task Force Final Report to the 2008 Florida Legislature [1.31MB pdf]

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