Coral Gables City Officials Advise Residents To Reduce Their Use Of Fertilizer To Protect Waterways

From the City of Coral Gables:

July 22, 2020

The City of Coral Gables continuously strives to provide residents with ‘green’ tips to ensure a healthier and safer environment. To this end, the City strongly encourages residents to reduce their use of fertilizer whenever possible, but especially during the rainy season.

Fertilizers carry nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, which may result in algae blooms; Algae blooms turn waterways green, create pungent smells, and suck up oxygen which may damage or kill marine life and delicate marine ecosystems. In light of the harmful effects of certain fertilizers, the City has led by example by ceasing the use of fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus on City properties from June 1-September 30 yearly. As part of our water quality and sustainable initiatives, the City follows landscape best management practices in order to reduce nonpoint source pollution from fertilizers into our City’s waterways. Nitrogen and Phosphorus from fertilizers are particularly harmful to City’s waterways.

We encourage all residents to join in the initiative and follow these helpful tips and substitutions to reduce the use of fertilizer:

• Switch to organic fertilizers.
• Plant native plants – they are naturally adapted to our climate and don’t require a lot of water and fertilizer.
• Avoid over watering your lawn.
• Avoid fertilizer containing phosphorus, as our soil is already Phosphorus-rich.
• Use mulch instead of herbicides to help control weeds.
• Minimize or eliminate fertilizing in the summer months when rains are heavy.
• Never apply fertilizer or chemicals within 15-20 of a waterway or storm drain
• Use at least 50% slow-release fertilizer, particularly if using fertilizers with Nitrogen
• For most shrubs and palms in Coral Gables, the use of a slow release 8-0-12 (polymer and sulfate coated) fertilizer applied once or twice per year in October/November and April/May is more than adequate to maintain plant health and vigor. The numbers on fertilizer bags indicate the amount of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K), N-P-K.

For more information and additional tips to reduce fertilizer use and nutrient pollution please visit www.coralgables.com/waterways.

To view the City's Landscape Best Management Practices, click here.

This press release was produced by the City of Coral Gables. The views expressed here are the author’s own.