CITY OF MANSFIELD STORM WATER MANAGEMENT
FERTILIZERS
What Are Fertilizers?
Fertilizers are typically natural or synthetic materials spread on or worked into soil for the purpose of providing nutrients for plant growth.
How Do Fertilizers Affect Stormwater?
Excess nutrients are one of the leading causes of water pollution in the U.S. today. Studies by the EPA and other agencies have found that the leading cause of impairments to waters throughout the U.S. is elevated nutrient levels from excess fertilizer application.
Fertilizers themselves are not bad for stormwater. But, when too much fertilizer is applied to a lawn or landscape, or when fertilizers are applied just before a rainfall event, much of the fertilizer enters the storm drain system.
This fertilizer then provides nutrients for aquatic growth, instead of the plants in the lawns and landscapes where it was applied. Many times, the type of aquatic growth is an algal bloom. Algal blooms are bad because when the algae begin to die and decompose, oxygen levels in the water drop to a point where fish and plants cannot survive.
In local ponds and some streams, this means the fish and plants die. This can lead to fewer fish in later generations, making fish more difficult to catch. This problem does not remain in the ponds and streams. Algal blooms can affect Joe Pool Lake, and all of the other lakes downstream, as well.
How Can I Get My Plants To Grow And Not Pollute The Water?
One of the most important steps to making sure your plants are going to be successful and healthy is to investigate the area you want to plant. Make sure the area will get the proper amount and type of sunlight, has the proper drainage, soil type, pH and so forth. Also check for how much water the plant will require.
Native and adaptive plants will usually perform very well with very little extra fertilizer or water, unless placed in an area that does not provide suitable conditions. If placed in unsuitable areas, for whatever reason, it does not matter how much fertilizer or water the plant receives, it will not thrive.
Before applying fertilizers, it is generally best to do a little research. Test the soil where you will be placing the plant(s) for current nutrient levels to see if fertilizing will be required. Most fertilizers supply extra Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) to the soil. Fertilizers are usually rated on their content of these nutrients. Using fertilizers that provide only the additional nutrients needed, or using other methods of improving the nutrient content of the soil is generally better for the plants, as well as our waterways.
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