June 1 brings fertilizer ban to Lee, Charlotte, parts of Collier
CAPE CORAL – Although fertilizers make your yard look great, they cause more harm than good during rainy season.
“The downside is that nitrogen doesn’t dissolve right away, is highly likely to be washed into the water from runoff,” the Calusa Waterkeeper Cody Pierce said.
Studies show they can cause harmful algae blooms, like red tide.
“As we are recovering from post-hurricane Ian, we had so many nutrients that were washed into the watershed, to begin with, that if they’re going to allow these high numbers of nitrate fertilizers to be used, we’re playing Russian roulette,” he said.
So avoid fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus. They are banned across parts of Lee County, Charlotte, and Collier counties for the next four months.
“Most people think that their actions are small, but when you magnify that by multiple people, not putting the fertilizers down, being conscious of their impact, can affect all the red tide in the blue-green algae dominant ecosystems,” Pierce said.
