Why Skipping Fertilizer in Summer Helps Your Lawn—and the Lagoon

Summer in Brevard County brings near-daily afternoon rains and high humidity, giving your lawn everything it needs to stay green and healthy naturally. In fact, adding fertilizer during this time can do more harm than good. It not only weakens your grass by encouraging shallow roots and increasing the risk of pests and disease—it also harms the Indian River Lagoon, one of Florida’s most important ecosystems.

Why Fertilizer Ordinances Exist—and What They Mean for You

Brevard County and many of its cities have fertilizer ordinances that restrict fertilizer use during the summer rainy season. From June 1 to September 30, residents are prohibited from applying fertilizers containing nitrogen to lawns and landscapes. Fertilizers containing phosphorus are banned year-round.

But these ordinances aren’t just rules—they are a community-driven response to protect our shared environment. When fertilizers are applied during rainy months, heavy rains push fertilizer past your plant's root zone into groundwater, and stormwater runoff carries excess fertilizer nutrients into storm drains, which both flow into the lagoon. This pollution fuels algae blooms that block sunlight, deplete oxygen, kill fish, and smother seagrass beds, which are vital for manatees, sea turtles, and fish.

The good news is these ordinances are working. Before Brevard’s fertilizer restrictions went into effect, an estimated 127,540 pounds of nitrogen and 12,640 pounds of phosphorus were reaching the environment annually from residential lawns. After the ordinance, those numbers dropped dramatically—to about 81,644 pounds of nitrogen and 3,252 pounds of phosphorus per year—a reduction of nearly 46,000 pounds of nitrogen and over 9,000 pounds of phosphorus annually (Brevard County Natural Resources, 2024). That’s a major win for the lagoon.

How Fertilizer Runoff Harms the Lagoon

Many people don’t realize that storm drains don’t lead to water treatment plants—they go straight into canals, ditches, and eventually the Indian River Lagoon. When fertilizer is applied before it rains, it may wash off lawns and into those drains. The nitrogen and phosphorus in fertilizer feed algae blooms that make the water cloudy, block sunlight, and harm the plants and animals that live in the lagoon.

Diagram titled “Where Does Your Fertilizer Go?” showing a step-by-step flow: fertilizer spread on a lawn, washed away by rain, entering a storm drain, polluting the lagoon, causing algae blooms, and leading to fish kills. — *When fertilizer is applied during the rainy summer season, it can wash off lawns into storm drains—fueling algae blooms in the lagoon that can lead to fish kills and harm to lagoon wildlife.*

The Indian River Lagoon is home to thousands of species of plants and animals, making it one of the most diverse estuaries in North America. But the lagoon is under stress. The St. Johns River Water Management District says that nutrient pollution is one of the main causes of environmental harm in the lagoon (SJRWMD, 2023).

Even a small amount of fertilizer can cause big problems. Brevard County Natural Resources explains that just one pound of nitrogen can help hundreds of pounds of algae grow in the lagoon (Brevard County, 2024). That’s why making simple changes—like skipping fertilizer in the summer—can make a real difference.

A Quick Overview of Fertilizer Guidelines

Brevard County’s fertilizer guidelines are designed to protect the lagoon during the rainy season. From June 1 to September 30, residents are asked to avoid using fertilizers that contain nitrogen or phosphorus, since summer rains can easily wash them into storm drains and waterways.

Year-round, fertilizers should also be kept at least 15 feet away from any waterbody—including ponds, canals, ditches, and the lagoon itself—to protect water quality.

At other times of year, when fertilizing is permitted, residents are encouraged to use products with slow-release nitrogen and avoid applying fertilizer when rain is forecast within the next 24 hours.

Some cities and towns within Brevard County have their own fertilizer ordinances, which may have additional requirements like stricter setbacks or longer restriction periods. It’s a good idea to check your local guidelines to stay up to date. You can find a helpful list of city-by-city fertilizer rules on the UF/IFAS website.

Infographic titled “Brevard County Fertilizer Ordinance” showing four icons with rules: No fertilizer from June 1 to September 30, maintain a 15-foot setback from waterbodies, use only slow-release nitrogen (outside the rainy season), and avoid fertilizing when rain is forecast within 24 hours.

Quick Checklist of Fertilizer Rules

✅ No fertilizer from June 1 – September 30
✅ Maintain at least a 15-foot setback from all waterbodies year-round
✅ Use only slow-release nitrogen fertilizers outside the summer rainy season
✅ Avoid fertilizing when rain is forecast within 24 hours
✅ Check your local city or town’s fertilizer ordinance for any additional rules

Why Skipping Fertilizer is Better for Your Lawn

The warm, wet conditions of summer naturally promote healthy grass growth, meaning your lawn doesn’t need extra fertilizer. In fact, skipping fertilizer can improve your lawn’s health by promoting deeper root systems that are more drought- and pest-resistant.

One of the best practices is grasscycling—leaving grass clippings on your lawn after mowing. Grasscycling can supply up to 15–20% of your lawn’s total nitrogen needs annually. Since grass clippings are about 80–90% water, they break down quickly, improving soil structure and naturally returning nutrients to the soil. In fact, the nitrogen returned by grasscycling is roughly equivalent to applying fertilizer once or twice a year—essentially providing free fertilizer for your yard. Grasscycling also saves time: by eliminating the need to bag or haul clippings, it can reduce total mowing time by up to 38% each year (EPA, 2005).

To make grasscycling work for you:

Mow when grass is dry.
Keep mower blades sharp.
Remove no more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time.
Maintain a mowing height around 3 inches to promote strong roots and shade out weeds.

Graphic titled “Fertilizer-Free Alternatives” featuring cartoon-style icons for mulch, grass clippings, compost, native plants, and buffer zones—each labeled and illustrated with vibrant colors. — *Instead of fertilizer, try mulch, compost, grass clippings, native plants, or buffer zones—natural solutions that can benefit your yard and protect the lagoon.*

Lagoon-Friendly Lawn Alternatives

There are many safe, lagoon-friendly ways to care for your yard without synthetic fertilizer. Using compost or organic mulch is one of the easiest and most effective alternatives. These natural soil amendments slowly release nutrients, improve water retention, and help build healthy microbial activity in your soil—without contributing to nutrient runoff. A 2–4 inch layer of mulch around trees, shrubs, and garden beds can also suppress weeds and conserve moisture during hot weather.

Another excellent choice is to incorporate native or Florida-Friendly plants into your landscaping. Native species like muhly grass, coontie, and firebush thrive in Brevard County’s climate without fertilizer or extra irrigation. They also support local pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects, making your yard more ecologically rich.

If you feel your lawn might need fertilizer at other times of year, plan to apply it only in spring or fall—never during summer—and always follow label instructions carefully. Even better, you can determine whether your yard truly needs fertilizer at all by requesting a professional soil test through UF/IFAS Brevard County Extension. Soil testing helps you apply only what your landscape actually requires, saving money and reducing runoff. Learn more about soil testing services at https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/brevard.

You can also protect the lagoon by establishing fertilizer-free buffer zones near water features. Leaving a 10- to 25-foot fertilizer-free zone near lakes, storm drains, ponds, canals, or the lagoon itself reduces the chance that nutrients will reach the water during storms. Requirements for buffers can vary by location, so it’s a good idea to check local city-by-city rules to ensure you’re in compliance.

A Community Effort That Makes a Difference

The fertilizer ordinances are part of a broader effort that’s working—thanks to thousands of residents making lagoon-friendly lawn care choices. According to a 2019 survey, over 33% of residents are using slow-release fertilizers, reflecting a growing commitment to lagoon-friendly practices (Brevard County Natural Resources, 2024).

Even more encouraging, after years of seagrass loss, lagoon monitoring shows signs of recovery: seagrass acreage has increased from about 19,800 acres in 2021 to 24,500 acres in 2023—a nearly 24% gain (SJRWMD, 2023).

These small changes add up—and when you skip fertilizer this summer, you’re joining a movement that’s making a real difference for one of Florida’s most treasured waterways.

Join Your Neighbors—Take the Pledge!

By adopting lagoon-friendly practices this summer, you’re not just following a rule—you’re helping protect the lagoon’s water quality, restoring wildlife habitat, saving money, and strengthening your lawn.

To learn more and make your commitment official, take the Lagoon Loyal pledge at LagoonLoyal.com/pledge—and join thousands of neighbors already working to protect the lagoon for future generations.

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References

Brevard County Natural Resources, 2024. Save Our Indian River Lagoon Project Plan Update.
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD). (2023). Nutrient Pollution and the Lagoon. https://www.sjrwmd.com/waterways/indian-river-lagoon/
UF/IFAS Extension. Grasscycling. https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasota/natural-resources/waste-reduction/composting/what-is-composting/what-can-be-composted/grass-cycling/
UF/IFAS Extension, 2020. Fertilizing the Florida Lawn. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/LH014
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2005). GreenScaping: The Easy Way to a Greener, Healthier Yard (EPA530-K-03-002). https://archive.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/tools/greenscapes/web/pdf/home-gs.pdf
U.S. EPA. (2022). Nutrient Pollution Overview. https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution

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Illustrated scene of a suburban neighborhood during a rainstorm, with sprinkler heads raised in a lawn that doesn’t need watering due to heavy rainfall.