MDA Demonstrates Practices that Help Homeowners Meet New Fertilizer Application Requirements

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 16, 2012) –  The Maryland Department of Agriculture today reminded homeowners and lawn care professionals that beginning October 1, 2013, there will be new requirements on how lawn fertilizer products may be applied. The department also demonstrated several conservation practices that homeowners can use to improve water quality and be good environmental stewards. The event was held to recognize Earth Week (April 16-22).  Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance, a life-long farmer, introduced the program by comparing lawn care requirements to conservation measures long used by farmers and emphasizing the importance of everyone’s involvement in cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay.

“Farmers were this nation’s first environmentalists and they remain our best stewards of the land,” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. “Cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay, however, requires everyone’s help.  Today’s demonstrations highlight actions residents can take in their own backyards to follow the lead of farmers in caring for their gardens and landscapes in an environmentally responsible way. Earth Week is the perfect time to begin implementing backyard actions for a cleaner Chesapeake Bay and educating homeowners on responsible fertilizer use.”

Maryland’s new lawn fertilizer law (Fertilizer Use Act of 2011) is designed to protect the Chesapeake Bay 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.

Nutrients—primarily nitrogen and phosphorus—are key ingredients in lawn fertilizer. When it rains, excess nutrients can wash off the land and into the streams and rivers that feed the Chesapeake Bay. Once in our waterways, excess fertilizers fuel the growth of algae blooms that block sunlight from reaching Bay grasses, rob the water of oxygen and threaten underwater life.

Lawn fertilizer now accounts for approximately 44 percent of the fertilizer sold in Maryland.  While certain restrictions on fertilizer use have been in place for farmers since 2001, additional involvement by residents and businesses is needed if Maryland is to meet new nutrient reduction goals outlined in its Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) to restore the Bay. Maryland’s new lawn fertilizer law affects fertilizer manufacturers and distributors, lawn care professionals and homeowners.

Beginning October 1, 2013, lawn fertilizer products sold in Maryland will no longer contain phosphorus, with certain exceptions for specially labeled starter fertilizer and organic products.  New label requirements will also be imposed to ensure that no more than 0.9 pounds of total nitrogen is applied per 1,000 square feet; at least 20 percent of this nitrogen must be in a slow release form.

Beginning October 1, 2013, all lawn care professionals must be certified in order to apply fertilizer in Maryland.
The rules apply to professionals who are hired to apply fertilizers as well as individuals responsible for fertilizer management at golf courses, public parks, airports, athletic fields, businesses, cemeteries and other non-agricultural properties. (Currently, any person or business hired to apply pesticides must also be certified or licensed by MDA.)

Both lawn care professionals and homeowners who apply lawn fertilizer will be required under the law to follow certain guidelines. Under the law, fertilizer use will be prohibited between November 15 and March 1; within 15 feet of a waterway; or when heavy rain is predicted.  Fertilizers may not be used to de-ice walkways and driveways.

During the event, Jo Mercer, Ed.D., program manager for MDA’s Nutrient Management Program provided a brief outline of the requirements for homeowners and professional certified applicators.

Additional demonstrations showcased conservation measures similar to those taken by farmers to grow healthy crops and maintain water quality – measures the average homeowner can take at home. University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center Director, Jon Traunfeld, demonstrated a number of easy yet important steps for homeowners to take including: how to take a soil test, how to read a soil test lab report, how to understand the contents of a fertilizer bag, water conservation measures, composting and how to grow a vegetable garden. University of Maryland Extension recommends testing turf and garden soil every 3 to 4 years. A basic soil test that gives readings for soil pH, phosphate, potassium, calcium, and magnesium levels is sufficient for most home gardeners.

Ed Crow, entomologist with MDA’s Pesticide Regulation Section, discussed beneficial insects and backyard pest management techniques that mirror a farmer’s integrated pest management programs. Integrated pest management is based on prevention, monitoring, pest identification, alternatives to pesticides and appropriate use of pesticides when necessary.  Other nutrient management, state chemist, agriculture and gardening experts were on-hand to answer questions.

“The steps we are showing today and that the handout materials illustrate are practical and easy to do,” said Traunfeld.  “Whenever homeowners have questions about their gardens, plant and insect problems, or conservation measures, the Home and Garden Information Center is a great place to start.  Our website, www.hgic.umd.edu, has lots of up-to-date information and allows folks to e-mail us questions.  We also have Master Gardener volunteers in 19 counties and Baltimore City who are trained to answer questions and educate the public.”

Homeowners and gardeners can call the Home and Garden Information Center toll-free 1-800-342-2507 (outside Maryland 410-531-5573) from 8am-1pm and speak with a Certified Professional Horticulturist about easy-to-follow, Bay-friendly suggestions for fertilizing lawns and gardens, spotting and correcting erosion  problems, controlling weeds and insects without pesticides, and  conserving water.

For more information about Maryland’s new lawn fertilizer law and links to backyard conservation practices, visit www.mda.maryland.gov/fertilizer. The website will be updated regularly as the program unfolds and will include a list of fertilizer applicators certified by MDA beginning this fall.  For a brief video showcasing how to take a soil sample and other tips, visit: www.hgic.umd.edu. To learn more about the Grow It, Eat It campaign and how to grow a vegetable garden, visit: www.growit.umd.edu.

For an FAQ sheet on the new law.