Abstract
In December 2007, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) adopted a rule that regulates labeling on bags of fertilizers used on home lawns. The Urban Turf Fertilizer Rule [RE-1.003(2) Florida Administrative Code] regulates what can be sold and marketed as an urban turf fertilizer and requires specific wording on the fertilizer bag. The rule is in effect on fertilizer bags weighing less than 50 pounds. The rule was enacted in response to concerns over potential pollution of water resources resulting from the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in these fertilizers. The rule was updated in January 2015 to change the allowable N rates, particularly for the maintenance of turf in parts of the state where a summertime ban on application of N and P exist. The change in the rule is based on University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research results on nitrate-N leaching from turfgrass. The new rule allows for use of up to two pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet for spring or summer applications. Annual N application rates must still follow the UF/IFAS recommendations.
