Fertilizer Notice

NOTICE:  Property Owners and Landscapers Regarding the Use of Phosphorous Containing Fertilizer

Westchester County has passed the following law regarding the use of fertilizer containing phosphorous.

Article XXVI of Chapter 863 of the Laws of the Westchester County

Effective Jan. 1, 2011:

• Fertilizer containing phosphorous cannot be applied to lawn areas unless soil tests confirm the need for additional phosphorous application.
• Fertilizer containing phosphorous can be applied to newly established turf or lawn areas during their first growing season, when more nutrients are needed for the grass to take root.
• Fertilizer can be applied to vegetable and flower gardens, trees and shrubs.

Phosphorous, when concentrated in water bodies such as lakes, ponds, reservoirs, streams and wetlands can result in substantial growth of algae and aquatic plants resulting in degradation of water quality. You can recognize the amount of phosphorous in fertilizer by looking at the middle of the three nutrient numbers on the bag. For example 5-10-5, the middle number, “10” indicates that the bag contains 10% phosphorous. Look for bags of fertilizer in which the middle number is “0” such as 5-0-5 which do not contain phosphorous.

Infographic from Cornell Cooperative Extension