Springtime means gardending, but be careful with your fertlizer usage.
New Jersey's new fertilizer law, the toughest in the nation, provides the framework for growing a healthy lawn while reducing pollution to our waterways. Earth Week is a perfect time to begin thinking more carefully about how we use fertilizers. Taking greater care in how we apply them is one of the simplest things we can do to make a huge difference in protecting our environment.
No doubt a green and healthy lawn gives many of us a great sense of pride and accomplishment. But many people tend to overuse fertilizers or apply them sloppily, leading to degraded water quality from too many nutrients being carried with stormwater runoff into our streams, lakes, rivers and bays.
The law requires consumers to follow best management practices when using fertilizers; sets a requirement for creation of a certification program for lawn care providers; and ultimately requires manufacturers to reformulate fertilizers to decrease the total amount of nitrogen in their products and increase the amount of slow-release nitrogen they contain. In addition, the law prohibits use of phosphorous in fertilizer for turf unless a soil test indicates it is needed.
The first phase of the law went into effect immediately with the signing of the legislation on Jan. 5, and requires the use of best management practices to reduce the impacts of fertilizers on waterways. Specifically:
- Consumers may not apply lawn fertilizers from Nov. 15 through March; professionals may not apply them from Dec. 1 through March 1.
- Fertilizer application is banned during winter months or when the ground remains frozen.
- Fertilizer application is prohibited during - or just before - heavy rainfall.
- Fertilizers may not be applied within 25 feet of any water body except when applied in a way that will limit their outward spread to 10 feet, such as with a drop spreader, targeted spray or rotary spreader equipped with a deflector.
- Consumers and professionals must limit the amount of nitrogen they apply per application as well as during the course of the year.
In general, if you follow label directions regarding application rates and frequency of applications you should be able to comply with the intent of the law. Also take a few extra minutes to sweep up stray granules of fertilizer from pavement.
Additional components of the law will be phased in over the next two years. For details on the law and tips on eco-friendly lawn care, visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/healthylawnshealthywater.>
