§ 20-112. Fertilizer content and application rates.

(a)

No fertilizer containing phosphorus shall be applied to turf or landscape plants in the unincorporated county unless a soil or plant tissue deficiency is verified by a University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, approved testing methodology. In the case that a deficiency has been verified, the application of a fertilizer containing phosphorous shall be in accordance with the rates and directions for the Southern Region of Florida as provided by F.A.C. 5E-1.003. Deficiency verification shall be no more than two years old. However, recent application of compost, manure, or top soil shall warrant more recent testing to verify current deficiencies. For purposes of clarification a very low designation for phosphorus set forth in the UF-IFAS Extension Soil Testing Laboratory Analytical Procedures Training Manual shall mean phosphorus levels below ten parts per million. A low designation for phosphorus shall mean phosphorus levels below 25 parts per million.

(b)

Unless otherwise specified in this article, fertilizers applied to turf and/or landscape plants within the unincorporated county shall be formulated and applied in accordance with requirements and directions provided by F.A.C. 5E-1.003(2), Labeling Requirements for Urban Turf Fertilizers.

(c)

Fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus shall not be applied before seeding or sodding a site, and shall not be applied for the first 30 days after seeding or sodding, except when hydro-seeding for temporary or permanent erosion control in an emergency situation (wildfire, etc.), or in accordance with the stormwater pollution prevention plan for that site.

(d)

Fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus shall be applied to turf and/or landscape plants at the lowest amount of rate necessary to correct or prevent nutrient deficiencies without exceeding the maximum per application rate specified on the label in accordance with Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Rules (F.A.C. 5E-1.003). All commercial and institutional applicators shall be responsible for maintaining a record of the pounds of nitrogen and phosphorous expressed as pounds per 1,000 feet of land applied to each site during the year.

(e)

While single fertilizer applications in the fall and spring will often suffice, fertilizers shall not be applied more than the Fertilization Guidelines for the Southern Region of Florida under the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Rule (F.A.C. 5E-1.003) during any one calendar year to a single area.

(f)

Fertilizers containing nitrogen applied to turf and/or landscaping plants within the county shall contain no less than 50 percent Slow Release Nitrogen per Guaranteed Analysis Label.

(Code 1982, § 1-7.6-50; Ord. No. 11-001A, pt. A, 3-1-2011; Ord. No. 2014-3 , § 1-7.6-50, 1-7-2014)