Can I fertilize my Vero Beach lawn now? The rules that apply all year, and why October is last call

Every June, the bags of lawn food get pushed to the back of the garage. From June 1 through September 30, fertilizer is off-limits in Indian River County. That ban ended a few weeks ago.

So can you feed your lawn now? Yes, with a few rules that apply every day of the year. And if you want to do it this fall, you do not have long. Here is the plain-English version.

Why there is a fertilizer rule at all

It is about the Indian River Lagoon. When it rains, fertilizer washes off lawns, into swales and storm drains, and on into the lagoon. The extra nitrogen and phosphorus feed algae blooms that hurt fish, seagrass and the water we all live next to. Summer is the rainy season, which is why the ban covers June through September.

Indian River County's Fertilizer and Landscape Management Ordinance took effect on October 14, 2013. The county ordinance covers the unincorporated county. The City of Vero Beach has its own fertilizer ordinance, and the Indian River Neighborhood Association says the June-to-September ban and the core rules below apply in Vero Beach as well. If you live inside city limits and want the exact wording, ask the city.

The rules that apply all year

The summer ban gets the headlines, but most of the county ordinance applies in every month. You may not apply fertilizer:

• On saturated soil. After a wet weekend, wait until the ground dries out.
• When a flood, tropical storm or hurricane watch or warning is in effect for any part of the county.
• When more than two inches of rain in 24 hours is likely.
• Right before you lay new sod or seed, or in the first 30 days after.
• On driveways, sidewalks, the street or any other hard surface. Sweep up stray granules.
• Within 10 feet of any lake, pond, canal, wetland or the top of a seawall. Newly planted grass or plants in that strip can be fed only 30 to 90 days after planting, and only if needed.

There are also rules about what goes in the bag. Phosphorus is allowed only if a soil or plant tissue test shows your yard needs it. Any fertilizer with nitrogen must be at least 50% slow-release nitrogen. If you use a rotary (broadcast) spreader, it needs a deflector shield so pellets do not fly into the street or the water.

Grass clippings count too. The ordinance says clippings and yard debris may not go into storm drains, ditches, water bodies, sidewalks or roads. Blow them back onto the lawn instead.

A few things are exempt, including vegetable gardens and trees grown for edible fruit, farms, golf courses that follow best practices, and athletic fields at public parks and schools.

Why late October is last call

Fertilizer only helps grass that is actively growing. The UF/IFAS Extension office in Indian River County advises that lawns here generally should not be fertilized after October or before April. Grass slows down as nights cool off, and food it cannot use is more likely to wash away or leach into groundwater.

So if you planned one fall feeding, it belongs in the next week or so, on dry ground with no heavy rain in the forecast. If you miss it, the experts' advice is simple: wait for spring.

What to do this week

1. Read the three numbers on the bag. The middle one is phosphorus. A bag that reads 12-0-4 has none, which is what you want without a soil test.
2. Check the label for slow-release nitrogen. The ordinance requires at least 50%.
3. Wait for dry ground. Skip it if a storm watch or warning is up or heavy rain is coming.
4. Mark a 10-foot no-fertilizer strip along any pond, canal, lagoon edge or seawall.
5. Use a drop spreader if you can, especially near water. Do not go heavier than the label. UF/IFAS suggests no more than 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.
6. Sweep spilled granules back onto the grass. Never hose them into the street.
7. Water with reclaimed (reuse) water? It already carries nutrients, so you may need less fertilizer, or none.
8. If you pay a lawn service, ask whether its crew has the county-required training in Florida-friendly best practices. Commercial applicators must carry proof of it while they work.

One more tip from the extension office: skip the "weed and feed" combo bags. The weed killer in them can hurt the roots of trees and shrubs that reach under your lawn. A soil test through the extension office is the best way to know what your yard really needs.