§ 12-236. Fertilizer content and application rates.

(a)

All fertilizer applied to urban landscapes shall be labeled in accordance with Section 576.031, Florida Statutes, as it may be amended or superseded.

(b)

Applications to urban landscapes shall be in accordance with the requirements and directions provided by the manufacturer's label or as recommended for landscape plants, vegetable gardens, or fruit trees and shrubs by the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) unless a soil or tissue deficiency has been verified by an approved test by IFAS or an accredited laboratory.

(c)

No fertilizer shall be applied to turf at a rate that exceeds the range per plant species set forth in guidelines established in Rule 5E-1.003(2), Florida Administrative Code, or in the most recent publication of "Florida Friendly Best Management Practices for Protection of Water Resources by the Green Industries," as stated below:

Annual Rates:

Bahia grass: 2—4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year.

Bermuda grass: 4—6 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year.

Centipede grass: 2—3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year.

St. Augustine grass: 2—5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year.

Zoysia grass*: 2—5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year.

* Newer cultivars of Zoysia grass, including Empire, will generally perform well with 1—1.5 pounds per 1,000 square feet less nitrogen annually (i.e., 2—3.5 pounds per 1,000 square feet per year).

Single application rates to turf areas shall not exceed 0.5 pound per one thousand (1,000) square feet for water soluble fertilizers, or as otherwise recommended in the most recent edition of the "Florida Friendly Best Management Practices for Protection of Water Resources by the Green Industries" as published by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the University of Florida - IFAS Extension. Slow release fertilizers shall not be applied at a rate in excess of 1.0 pound per one thousand (1,000) square feet total nitrogen for a single application, unless otherwise indicated in the most recent edition of the "Florida Friendly Best Management Practices for Protection of Water Resources by the Green Industries."

(d)

The above-listed application rates shall be reduced appropriately on properties where reclaimed wastewater is used for irrigation based on available nutrients in the reclaimed water.

(e)

Fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus shall not be applied before seeding or sodding a site, and shall not be applied for the first thirty (30) days after seeding or sodding, except when hydro-seeding for temporary or permanent erosion control in an emergency situation, such as wildfire, or in accordance with the stormwater pollution prevention plan for that site.

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