BRADENTON -- The partners of the Be Floridian fertilizer education campaign remind residents of Manatee, Sarasota and Pinellas counties and the city of Tampa that they can’t apply nitrogen or phosphorous to lawn and landscape plants from June 1-September 30. But that doesn’t mean your grass will turn brown, shrivel up and die!
Garden centers throughout these communities offer a variety of “summer-safe” yard products that will help keep your landscape green and growing throughout our long, hot summer. Look for fertilizers with “0” as the first two numbers on the label (as in 0-0-6). These do not contain either nitrogen or phosphorous.
Summer rains don’t water fertilizer in, they wash it away -- right into our ponds, bays, rivers and the Gulf of Mexico. Too much fertilizer can cause algae blooms and fish kills, spoiling the beautiful waterways that are our major source of recreation. Follow these Florida-friendly lawn care practices to “protect our fun” this summer:
For more tips on “Gardening Like A Floridian,” visit www.BeFloridian.org.