You may have seen articles
in the paper recently discussing fertilizer bans in
several counties. These Florida coastal counties are
proposing ordinances governing the formulation, sale and
use of fertilizers in an effort to protect Florida’s
waterways. Certainly that is a noble cause and is
something that the Golf and the Green Industries in
Florida supports wholeheartedly.
Our only concern is that sound peer-reviewed science be
used to discuss the real potential for nutrient leaching
and runoff because decades of turf and soil science
studies done in Florida and around the country have
repeatedly said that when used properly, according to
directions, there is no adverse effect on the
environment from fertilizers.
Professional applicators like golf courses and lawn care
companies know and employ practical best management
practices for the health of the turfgrass and the
preservation of the operating budget; it is a business
after all.
Everyone needs to know the 4 R’s of using
fertilizer:
• Right Product
– slow release fertilizer with a low phosphorus content.
Don’t apply phosphorus unless a soil test shows you need
it for proper plant growth.
• Right Place –
Perhaps the most critical element. Make sure the
fertilizer is only applied on the turfgrass, not in the
driveways or streets. This is the material that can run
off.
• Right Time –
Spring and Fall and maybe a Summer feeding with some
iron for color if needed. Always watch the weather
forecast and avoid applying if heavy rains are coming.
• Right Rate –
The second most critical and often abused. Simply pace
off your turf area most paces are 30 inches (Say 3 feet)
and figure out your square footage. Fertilizer bags are
labeled to cover 2,500 or 5,000 square feet for example.
Follow spreading directions on the bag for settings and
widths of passes.
Did you know? That of 80 million home lawns about half
or 40 million receive no fertilizer at all. 18 million
apply once per year. 10 million apply twice per year.
There are 1 million lawns receiving 3 applications per
year and another million receiving 4 applications.
Finally there are about 10 million lawns under service
contracts with professional lawn care companies.
The primary nutrients in fertilizer are nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen comes from the air
which is 78% nitrogen. Phosphorus is mined from old
deposits of animal skeletons and potassium salts are
mined from the evaporated salt deposits of ancient
inland seas.
Fertilizer products are simply tools to grow trees,
shrubs, flowers and lawns. Our goal is to make sure we
use them properly so we don’t harm the environment. |
