{"id":28962,"date":"2025-03-27T10:14:54","date_gmt":"2025-03-27T14:14:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/?p=28962"},"modified":"2025-03-27T10:14:54","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T14:14:54","slug":"protect-local-streams-that-feed-our-chesapeake-bay-follow-marylands-lawn-fertilizer-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/press-release\/2025\/03\/27\/protect-local-streams-that-feed-our-chesapeake-bay-follow-marylands-lawn-fertilizer-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Protect Local Streams that Feed our Chesapeake Bay\u2014Follow Maryland\u2019s Lawn Fertilizer Law"},"content":{"rendered":"<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/03\/MDA-Owl-BeWise.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"28963\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/press-release\/2025\/03\/27\/protect-local-streams-that-feed-our-chesapeake-bay-follow-marylands-lawn-fertilizer-law\/attachment\/mda-owl-bewise\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/03\/MDA-Owl-BeWise.jpg?fit=2133%2C1450&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2133,1450\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MDA Owl-BeWise\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/03\/MDA-Owl-BeWise.jpg?fit=760%2C517&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-28963\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/03\/MDA-Owl-BeWise.jpg?resize=300%2C204\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"204\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/03\/MDA-Owl-BeWise.jpg?resize=300%2C204&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/03\/MDA-Owl-BeWise.jpg?resize=1024%2C696&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/03\/MDA-Owl-BeWise.jpg?resize=768%2C522&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/03\/MDA-Owl-BeWise.jpg?resize=1536%2C1044&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/03\/MDA-Owl-BeWise.jpg?resize=2048%2C1392&amp;ssl=1 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\"><strong>ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 27, 2025)\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 The\u00a0<strong>Maryland Department of Agriculture<\/strong>\u00a0is reminding homeowners and lawn care professionals to follow\u00a0<strong>Maryland&#8217;s Lawn Fertilizer Law\u00a0<\/strong>when caring for lawns this spring. The law helps protect local streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay against nutrient runoff from non-agricultural sources. These include golf courses, parks, recreation areas, athletic fields, businesses, and hundreds of thousands of urban and suburban lawns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">\u201cFertilizer products contain essential nutrients that promote strong, healthy turf,\u201d said\u00a0<strong>Maryland Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks<\/strong>. \u201cBut runoff from over-applied or misapplied lawn fertilizer can harm local streams and the Chesapeake Bay. By following Maryland&#8217;s Lawn Fertilizer Law, homeowners and lawn care professionals can make a real difference for the Bay.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">If you hire a lawn care professional to fertilize your lawn, be sure they are certified by the department&#8217;s Turfgrass Nutrient Management Program or work under the supervision of a certified professional from a licensed firm. The department&#8217;s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mda.maryland.gov\/SiteAssets\/Pages\/fertilizer\/CertifiedLawnCarePros.pdf\">website<\/a>\u00a0has an up-to-date list of certified lawn care professionals. These individuals have been trained in sound application techniques and Bay-friendly fertilizer practices.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">If you care for your lawn, watch our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/bjSMskOK6zg?feature=shared\">video<\/a>\u00a0featuring lawn care tips from the experts. Highlights include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">Skip the spring fertilizer, especially if your lawn is healthy. Fall is the best time to fertilize cool season grasses like fescues for strong, healthy roots.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">Sharpen lawnmower blades to avoid tearing and weakening the grass.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">Mow the grass high to shade out weeds and conserve moisture. Three inches is an ideal height for most lawns.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">Leave grass clippings on the lawn. They provide free fertilizer all season long.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">If you decide to fertilize your lawn\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">Test your soil to see if your grass will benefit from additional nutrients or lime. The University of Maryland Extension has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umd.edu\/resource\/soil-testing-and-soil-testing-labs\/\">information on soil testing<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">Read and follow the directions on the fertilizer bag.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">Follow the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umd.edu\/resource\/lawn-fertilizer-schedule-table\/\">University of Maryland Extension&#8217;s lawn fertilizer schedule<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">Do not apply phosphorus (indicated by the middle number on the fertilizer bag) to lawns unless a soil test shows it is needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">If fertilizer lands on sidewalks or driveways, sweep it back onto the grass or clean it up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">Keep fertilizer applications 10 to 15 feet away from waterways.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">Do not apply fertilizer if heavy rain is predicted.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">Obey fertilizer blackout dates: November 16 to March 1.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\">Additional information on Maryland\u2019s Lawn Fertilizer Law and fertilizer best management practices is available on the department\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mda.maryland.gov\/Pages\/fertilizer.aspx\">website<\/a>. You can also visit the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umd.edu\/resource\/fertilizing-home-lawns\">University of Maryland Extension<\/a>\u00a0for lawn fertilizer recommendations and additional tips.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;font-size: 12pt\"># # #<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 27, 2025)\u00a0\u2013 The\u00a0Maryland Department of Agriculture\u00a0is reminding homeowners and lawn care professionals to follow\u00a0Maryland&#8217;s Lawn Fertilizer Law\u00a0when caring for lawns this spring. The law helps protect local streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay against nutrient runoff from non-agricultural sources. These include golf courses, parks, recreation areas, athletic fields, businesses, and hundreds of<a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/press-release\/2025\/03\/27\/protect-local-streams-that-feed-our-chesapeake-bay-follow-marylands-lawn-fertilizer-law\/\">&nbsp;&nbsp;Read the Rest&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":222,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/222"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28962"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28964,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28962\/revisions\/28964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}