Some fertilizers can be toxic for waterways and animals. What to do instead:
LUSH LAWNS, BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES. WE JOKE ABOUT HAVING A GREEN THUMB, BUT IT’S ABOUT KNOWING WHAT TO PLANT AND HOW TO CARE FOR IT THIS TIME OF YEAR. CERTAIN FERTILIZERS CAN HURT WATERWAYS AND THE ANIMALS, DEPENDING ON THEM. WESH 2’S DAVE MCDANIEL EXPLAINS WHY SOME INGREDIENTS HURT THE ENVIRONMENT MORE THAN THEY HELP YOUR LAWN. WE DON’T USE ANY FERTILIZERS OUT HERE, AND YOU CAN SEE IT’S CONSTANTLY ABUZZ. PROUDLY SHOWING OFF HER FLORIDA FRIENDLY LANDSCAPE. AN EXPERT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA KNOWS IN SEMINOLE COUNTY, FERTILIZERS WITH NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS CAN’T BE USED ON LAWNS. FROM JUNE 1ST TO THE END OF SEPTEMBER. WHEN USED INAPPROPRIATELY, NITROUS AND PHOSPHORUS CAN ENTER OUR WATERWAYS OR OUR AQUIFER AND OUR GROUNDWATER. THE CONCERN WITH CERTAIN FERTILIZERS IS THAT ONCE THE SUMMER RAINS COME, THEY CAN WASH THOSE FERTILIZERS OFF OF THE LAWNS AND INTO THE WATERWAYS. AND THOSE FERTILIZERS IN THE WATER ARE CONSIDERED POLLUTION. INSTEAD OF FEEDING THE PLANTS THAT IT’S MEANT TO ENHANCE OUR LANDSCAPES AND PROVIDE THAT PLANT NUTRITION, IT ACTUALLY IS, YOU KNOW, FEEDING ALGAE OR OR OTHER AQUATIC VEGETATION. DAREN WE’VE SEEN THE EXTREMES OF ALGAE BLOOMS IN THE PAST. EXACTLY WHY THE SAVE THE MANATEE CLUB IS ALSO PUSHING THE SUMMER MONTHS AS FERTILIZER FREE. THE MANATEES ARE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON WHAT HUMANS DO TO HELP TO MAINTAIN THE FOOD SOURCE THAT THEY HAVE. THICK ALGAE BLOOMS CAN REDUCE THE SUNLIGHT. THE SEAGRASS BEDS DESPERATELY NEED TO GROW. MANATEES ARE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON SEAGRASS. THAT’S WHAT THEY FORAGE ON. UM, UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF RUNOFF, WHICH HAD A LOT OF THOSE HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS SHADED OUT A LOT OF THE SEAGRASS IN THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON AND CAUSED A LARGE MORTALITY EVENT. THERE ARE FERTILIZER ALTERNATIVES WITHOUT PHOSPHORUS AND NITROGEN. THOSE OTHER NUTRIENTS ARE ALLOWED. SO POTASSIUM, CALCIUM, IRON THOSE ARE ALL IMPORTANT FOR PLANT NUTRITION, CREATING A BALANCE TO BETTER PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE CREATURES IN IT. THE LESS WE IMPACT THE WATER QUALITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, THE BETTER OFF MANATEES WILL BE. IN SEMINOLE COUNTY DAVE MCDANIEL, WESH TWO NEWS. NOW WE’RE IN A VERY DRY PERIOD RIGHT NOW, BUT ONCE AFTERNOON RAINS BECOME MORE COMMON, IT’
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Some fertilizers can be toxic for waterways and animals. What to do instead:
Proudly showing off her Florida-friendly landscape, an expert from the University of Florida knows in Seminole County, fertilizers with nitrogen and phosphorus can't be used on lawns from June 1 to the end of September."We don't use any fertilizers out here and you can see it's constantly abuzz," Tina McIntyre told WESH 2. "When used inappropriately, nitrogen and phosphorus can enter our waterways or our aquifer or our groundwater." One of the big problems with certain fertilizers is that summer rains can wash them into waterways, creating pollution."Instead of feeding the plants that it's meant to enhance our landscape, and provide that plant nutrition, it actually is feeding algae or other aquatic vegetation," McIntyre said. We've seen the extremes of algae blooms in the past. It's exactly why the Save the Manatee Club is also pushing the summer months as fertilizer-free."Manatees are highly dependent on what humans do to help to maintain the food source that they have," Dr. Beth Brady with the club said. Thick algae blooms can reduce the sunlight the seagrass beds desperately need to grow."Manatees are highly dependent on seagrass," Brady said. "It's what they forage on, unfortunately with a lot of runoff (including) those harmful algal blooms, shaded out of a lot of sea grass in the Indian River Lagoon and caused a large mortality event." There are fertilizer alternatives, without phosphorus and nitrogen."Those other nutrients are allowed, so potassium, calcium, iron, those are all important for plant nutrition," McIntyre said. Creating a balance to better protect the environment and the creatures in it."The less we impact the water quality, and the environment, the better off manatees will be," Brady said.
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. —
Proudly showing off her Florida-friendly landscape, an expert from the University of Florida knows in Seminole County, fertilizers with nitrogen and phosphorus can't be used on lawns from June 1 to the end of September.
"We don't use any fertilizers out here and you can see it's constantly abuzz," Tina McIntyre told WESH 2. "When used inappropriately, nitrogen and phosphorus can enter our waterways or our aquifer or our groundwater."
One of the big problems with certain fertilizers is that summer rains can wash them into waterways, creating pollution.
"Instead of feeding the plants that it's meant to enhance our landscape, and provide that plant nutrition, it actually is feeding algae or other aquatic vegetation," McIntyre said.
We've seen the extremes of algae blooms in the past. It's exactly why the Save the Manatee Club is also pushing the summer months as fertilizer-free.
"Manatees are highly dependent on what humans do to help to maintain the food source that they have," Dr. Beth Brady with the club said.
Thick algae blooms can reduce the sunlight the seagrass beds desperately need to grow.
"Manatees are highly dependent on seagrass," Brady said. "It's what they forage on, unfortunately with a lot of runoff (including) those harmful algal blooms, shaded out of a lot of sea grass in the Indian River Lagoon and caused a large mortality event."
There are fertilizer alternatives, without phosphorus and nitrogen.
"Those other nutrients are allowed, so potassium, calcium, iron, those are all important for plant nutrition," McIntyre said.
Creating a balance to better protect the environment and the creatures in it.
"The less we impact the water quality, and the environment, the better off manatees will be," Brady said.
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