VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Volusia County’s summertime fertilizer ban will begin June 1 and run through Sept. 30, according to Community Information Specialist Pat Kuehn.
The ban prohibits residents and lawn care companies from applying any “nitrogen or phosphorus to lawns and landscape plants,” Kuehn wrote in a news release.
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According to Kuehn, excess nutrients from fertilizer runoff can cause fish deaths and algae blooms, the latter of which can kill seagrass —a key regulator for water quality and food source for manatees.
The Volusia County Council passed the ordinance in 2014 in response to concerns over animal deaths and algae blooms in local waters, particularly in the Indian River Lagoon.
Instead of using fertilizer, the county recommends these practices:
° Using iron-based yard products, which have micronutrients that can help “green up your lawn”
° Adding compost made from leaves, mulch and other organic soil amendments
° Choosing Florida-native plants for your garden that require less fertilizer and water
° Leaving grass clippings on your lawn, as they supply plenty of nitrogen to the yard
Volusia County said that fertilizers that contain two 0s on the label (such as 0-0-6) are allowed, as they don’t contain nitrogen or phosphorus.
For more information on the ordinance, you can read the Volusia County’s release below:
2022 June 1 Fertilizer Ban by Anthony Talcott on Scribd