MDA’s “Professional Lawn Care Manual” Now Available Online

ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 25, 2013) – The Maryland Professional Lawn Care Manual is now available on the Maryland Department of Agriculture website at www.mda.maryland.gov/fertilizer.

Developed in cooperation with the University of Maryland (UMD), the Maryland Professional Lawn Care Manual provides lawn care professionals with information on soils and fertility, soil testing, interpreting fertilizer labels, use and calibration of fertilizer application equipment, UMD fertilizer recommendations and other knowledge areas that will be covered by the newly created Maryland Professional Fertilizer Applicator Certification Exam.

Signed into law by Governor Martin O’Malley in 2011, Maryland’s lawn fertilizer law includes new requirements for fertilizer manufacturers, homeowners and lawn care professionals who must now be licensed and certified to apply fertilizers to properties that they manage. The law takes effect October 1, 2013 and is designed to protect the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries from excess nutrients entering its waters from a variety of urban sources, including golf courses, parks, recreation areas, athletic fields, businesses and hundreds of thousands of suburban and urban lawns.

Regulations to implement the law were published in the Maryland Register earlier this year. Certification testing is slated to begin this fall and expected to be ongoing in order to address demand and busy schedules as the program begins. For more information on training classes and testing dates, visit the MDA website or contact MDA’s Urban Nutrient Management Program at 410-841-5959.

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