Sometimes Florida yards need fertilizer to help keep them healthy, but applying the wrong kind can cause water pollution. You can use "Florida-friendly fertilizing(Florida-Friendly Fertilizing)":/yards/fertilizing practices to help protect water quality while having a beautiful lawn.
Most home lawn fertilizers contain some slow-release nitrogen. It takes a little longer for your yard to benefit from slow-release nitrogen, but the effects will last longer. Many of these fertilizers provide fertilization for 60 days or longer, depending on environmental conditions. As a result, fewer nutrients may be wasted or lost as pollutants.
h3. Read the Label
To find a slow-release fertilizer, look for these terms on the product or fertilizer tag for nitrogen:
* Timed-release, slow-release or controlled-release
* Water insoluble nitrogen
* Isobutylidene diurea (IBDU)
* Ureaform (UF)
* Nitroform
* Sulfur-, polymer-, plastic- or resin-coated urea
Once you find a slow-release fertilizer, wait until the grass is actively growing before using it. Fertilizer applied when grass is not growing wastes your money and time, since it will not be beneficially used by the grass.
The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ has created a series of tools to help residents learn to use fertilizer appropriately. By visiting "WaterMatters.org/fertilizing":/yards/fertilizing/, residents can get step-by-step instructions on fertilizing appropriately as well as watch a series of corresponding how-to videos. Residents can also order the free 20-page, "Do-It-Yourself Guide to Florida-Friendly Fertilizing" for additional information.
Fertilizing appropriately is one of the nine principles of "Florida-Friendly Landscaping™(Florida-Friendly Landscaping)":/yards, a set of guidelines developed by the "University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences(IFAS - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida)":http://www.ifas.ufl.edu to protect our natural resources while promoting beautiful landscapes.
Most home lawn fertilizers contain some slow-release nitrogen. It takes a little longer for your yard to benefit from slow-release nitrogen, but the effects will last longer. Many of these fertilizers provide fertilization for 60 days or longer, depending on environmental conditions. As a result, fewer nutrients may be wasted or lost as pollutants.
h3. Read the Label
To find a slow-release fertilizer, look for these terms on the product or fertilizer tag for nitrogen:
* Timed-release, slow-release or controlled-release
* Water insoluble nitrogen
* Isobutylidene diurea (IBDU)
* Ureaform (UF)
* Nitroform
* Sulfur-, polymer-, plastic- or resin-coated urea
Once you find a slow-release fertilizer, wait until the grass is actively growing before using it. Fertilizer applied when grass is not growing wastes your money and time, since it will not be beneficially used by the grass.
The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ has created a series of tools to help residents learn to use fertilizer appropriately. By visiting "WaterMatters.org/fertilizing":/yards/fertilizing/, residents can get step-by-step instructions on fertilizing appropriately as well as watch a series of corresponding how-to videos. Residents can also order the free 20-page, "Do-It-Yourself Guide to Florida-Friendly Fertilizing" for additional information.
Fertilizing appropriately is one of the nine principles of "Florida-Friendly Landscaping™(Florida-Friendly Landscaping)":/yards, a set of guidelines developed by the "University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences(IFAS - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida)":http://www.ifas.ufl.edu to protect our natural resources while promoting beautiful landscapes.