Fertilizer Ordinances are considered "low hanging fruit" when it comes to addressing the problem of nutrient pollution in Florida's waterways. So many solutions will take time, policy changes, and money to implement. But fertilizer ordinances cost very little to implement and can reduce nitrates in our waters immediately.
The backbone of a strong fertilizer ordinance includes a summer rainy season ban on nitrogen and phosphorus application, often June through September. During the rainy season in Florida, fertilizer does not have an opportunity to be absorbed into the soil before our frequent rainstorms wash the fertilizer off lawns and into the aquifer and springs, where it fuels algae growth.
Click on your county name below to get all the details of your local fertilizer ordinance. If your county is not listed, it has not yet adopted a strong fertilizer ordinance with a blackout period.
Nitrogen and Phosphorous containing lawn fertilizers are banned:
Alachua July 1 through February
Brevard June 1-September 30
Charlotte June 1-September 30
Hernando December 15th - March 15th and
June 1st - September 30th
Hillsborough June 1-September 30
Indian River June 1-September 30
Lake June 1-September 30
Orange June 1-September 30
Pinellas June 1-September 30
Lee June 1-September 30
Manatee June 1-September 30
Martin June 1-September 30
Miami-Dade May 15- October 31
Monroe May 15- October 31
Sarasota June 1-September 30
Seminole June 1-September 30
St. Lucie June 1-September 30
Volusia June 1-September 30
Thanks to Sierra Club Florida for sharing their knowledge of county fertilizer ordinances across the state. Sierra Club Florida has been the state's leading organization in advocating for and helping local governments to implement strong fertilizer ordinances, and we're grateful for their leadership and successes. We're honored to work with them and other partner organizations to make sure that fertilizer ordinances remain an option for counties and municipalities to improve their water quality.
