LAKE COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – Lake County’s fertilizer blackout period, during which the use of fertilizers that contain nitrogen or phosphorous, will go into effect on Monday, June 1, 2026.
The fertilizer blackout period is part of a fertilizer-oriented ordinance passed in the county back in 2017 intended to mitigate damage done to the waterways and bodies in Lake County (and beyond) by nitrogen and phosphorous runoff, which contributes to algal blooms, depleted oxygen and water toxicity.
In addition to the blackout period, the ordinance enacted additional restrictions:
- Use a deflector shield during application to keep fertilizer off impermeable surfaces
- Don’t apply within 15 feet of a wetland or water body and leave a 15-foot low-maintenance buffer zone from any water body
- When applying Oct. 1 through May 31, products should contain at least 50 percent slow-release nitrogen and 0 percent phosphorus
Please remember to never rinse fertilizer, chemicals, grass or yard clippings into a storm drain–most of which directly or indirectly lead to the region’s natural waterways–or use fertilizer when the soil is saturated, or when the National Weather Service predicts heavy rain within the next 24 hours.
The fertilizer blackout period runs through Sept. 30, 2026.
For more information, check out Lake County’s fertilizer ordinance page.