7 smart lawn-fertilizer tips
Wasted fertilizer represents not only a significant pollutant affecting U.S. lakes, rivers and bays but also money 'down the storm drain.'
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Maryland has become the latest state to ban the use of phosphorus in lawn fertilizers and limit the concentration of nitrogen. Other states with similar laws include Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, New York and New Jersey, and the list is growing. The aim is to protect water quality, because one major source of pollution is the excess nutrients from lawn fertilization. But it's a pollution source that's difficult to control because it comes from so many different sources across the cities and suburbs of America.While you might not think of your quarter-acre as a source of pollution, grass — spread out over countless patches of individual yards — is actually the largest crop in many parts of the country. In Maryland, for instance, there are 1.3 million acres of turf, according to Environment Maryland, and 1.5 million acres in other forms of agriculture; and those grassy acres are annually doused with an estimated 86 million pounds of fertilizer, much of which ultimately washes into the Chesapeake Bay. In communities that have enacted phosphorus bans, water quality has improved relatively quickly.
Most, if not all, of these laws have exemptions for establishing new lawns, because phosphorus helps grass take root; and most, if not all, exempt organic fertilizers because they naturally contain small amounts of phosphorus. Most include provisions to enforce the law on commercial applicators, not homeowners, but whether or not you're compelled by law to comply, you can learn about proper lawn maintenance from following the guidelines set out in the new rules
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