I pledge to protect water by reducing or eliminating fertilizer use on my lawn.

I pledge to not use fertilizer at all.

I pledge to use fertilizer with no Phosphorus (middle number on bag is 0).

THAT’S GREAT! Phosphorus is one of the key nutrients that causes algae blooms. Just one pound of phosphorus can produce 500 pounds of algae.

I pledge to use less fertilizer - no more than three applications per season.

I pledge to not apply fertilizer while my lawn is dormant (November 15 - March 1).

Nutrients found in fertilizer are necessary for plant growth; however, these nutrients are best used and applied when plants are actively growing. The reason for not applying fertilizers during the winter is because plants are dormant (not actively growing) during this time and the risk for fertilizer runoff is more likely when the ground is frozen. In addition, too much fertilizer can not only harm plants (burn your lawn), but when the excess nutrients are washed into a waterbody they can cause excessive algae and weed growth. Excessive growth from algae and weeds leads to other issues that are harmful to aquatic life.

What does it all mean?

Fertilizer is food for your lawn, but what if your lawn is full? Applying unneeded fertilizer results in that food getting washed off your lawn, down a storm drain, and into a waterbody like our streams, rivers, lakers, and reservoirs. Once there, that food always finds a hungry mouth: algae. Algae is never full, and when it grows unchecked, it causes a raft of problems to our water quality, dead zones like those in the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Erie, habitat destruction, and even serious health problems to humans, pets, and wildlife.