The New Green Revolution
What do the cities of Naples, Sanibel, Sarasota, Jacksonville, and for that matter, Minneapolis, Ann Arbor and Annapolis have in common with the Town of Fort Myers Beach?
The answer: A fertilizer ordinance designed to protect the waterways that are part of their communities.
A common cause of pollution to our back bay and the Gulf of Mexico is phosphorus and nitrogen runoff from lawn fertilizer. Once these excess chemicals get into our wetlands, creeks and estuaries harmful algae blooms can result which may lead to red drift algae and red tide outbreaks right on our beaches.
On December 15, 2008 our town council passed Ordinance 08-15 to regulate the use of fertilizer. It goes into effect on June 13th, and that’s just over a month away.
Our fertilizer ordinance is very similar to the one enacted by Lee County, which begins their enforcement on May 13th. Both affect commercial fertilizer applicators, individual homeowners, condominium associations, churches and businesses. Both ordinances also have a “blackout period” during our rainy season from June 1st through September 30th. During this restricted period, you cannot apply fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus to lawns or landscape plants. Nothing, nada. But don’t worry, luckily Florida soil contains high levels of phosphorus. (You’ve seen those commercials for Florida Phosphate, haven’t you). And nitrogen is naturally present in our rainfall. So, if you have maintained your lawn during the rest of the year, your lawn will do just fine during the blackout period.
Since your palm trees require specific nutrients such as manganese, iron, potassium and magnesium to keep them healthy, you can apply fertilizer mixes that supply these trace metals and minerals, as long as there is no nitrogen and phosphorus mixed in.
Once our rainy season is over, you may use fertilizers containing phosphorus and nitrogen but with restrictions on the amount. Fertilizers used on Fort Myers Beach from October 1st through May 31st, cannot contain more than 2% phosphorus or 20% nitrogen. In addition, at least 50% of that nitrogen must be a slow release variety.
Whatever brand of fertilizer you use, you cannot apply it to the same area more than four times in one year and you cannot apply it within three feet of a canal, pond, lagoon or any body of water.
Do your part to be good stewards of our beach environment and the fish, turtles, birds and our other two-legged visitors will give you a high five!
For more information, contact our town’s Environmental Sciences Coordinator, Keith Laakkonen at 765-0202, extension 136 or by e-mail at Keith@FortMyersBeachFL.gov.