§ 12-234. Definitions.

Administrator means the county manager, or an administrative official of Polk County government designated by the county manager to administer and enforce this article.

Application or apply means the actual physical deposit of fertilizer to turf or landscape plants.

Applicator means any person who applies fertilizer on turf and/or landscape plants.

Board or governing board means the board of county commissioners of Polk County, Florida.

Best management practices (BMPs) means turf and landscape practices or combination of practices based on research, field-testing, and expert review, determined to be the most effective and practicable on-location means, including economic and technological considerations, for improving water quality, conserving water supplies and protecting natural resources.

Code enforcement officer, official, or inspector means any designated employee or agent of Polk County whose duty it is to enforce codes and ordinances enacted by Polk County.

Commercial applicator, except as provided in Section 482.1562(9), Florida Statutes, means any person who applies fertilizer for payment or other consideration to property not owned by the person or firm applying the fertilizer or the employer of the applicator.

Fertilize, fertilizing, or fertilization means the act of applying fertilizer to turf, specialized turf, or landscape plants.

Fertilizer means any substance or mixture of substances that contains one or more recognized plant nutrients and promotes plant growth, or controls soil acidity or alkalinity, or provides other soil enrichment, or provides other corrective measures to the soil.

Guaranteed analysis means the percentage of plant nutrients or measures of neutralizing capability claimed to be present in a fertilizer.

Institutional applicator means any person, other than a private noncommercial applicator or commercial applicator, that applies fertilizer for the purpose of maintaining turf and/or landscape plants. Institutional applicators shall include, but not be limited to, owners, manager, or employees of public lands, schools, parks, religious institutions, utilities, industrial or business sites, and any residential properties maintained in condominium and/or common ownership.

Landscape plant means any native or exotic tree, shrub, or groundcover (excluding turf).

Low maintenance zone means an area a minimum of ten (10) feet wide adjacent to water courses which is planted and managed in order to minimize the need for fertilizer, watering, mowing, etc.

Person means any natural person, business, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, association, club, organization, and/or any group of people acting as an organized entity.

Private noncommercial applicator means a person applying fertilizer to their own residence, or that of another, without financial gain.

Saturated soil means a soil in which the voids are filled with water. Saturation does not require flow. For the purposes of this article, soils shall be considered saturated if standing water is present or the pressure of a person standing on the soil causes the release of free water.

Slow release, controlled release, timed release, slowly available, or water insoluble nitrogen means nitrogen in a form which delays its availability for plant uptake and use after application, or which extends its availability to the plant longer than a reference rapid or quick release product.

Turf, sod, or lawn means grass-covered soil held together by the roots of the grass.

Urban landscape means pervious areas on residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, highway rights-of-way, or other nonagricultural lands that are planted with turf or horticultural plants.

(Ord. No. 13-005, Art. II(2-1), 3-19-13)