Brevard County Summer Fertilizer Ban Begins June 1, Ordinance in Force Through Sept. 30
By Space Coast Daily // May 28, 2025
Thousands of pounds of pollutants enter the Lagoon watershed from excess fertilizer application
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — Brevard has an ordinance banning the application of fertilizer on residential properties from June 1 to September 30.
After a very dry start to 2025, the summer season is just the opposite. According to St. John’s Water Management, Brevard County receives 80 percent of its rainfall during the summer months.
If you’ve been here for a while, you know this translates into torrents of water from the sky washing across our yards, sweeping everything loose into the streets, storm sewers, and out into the Lagoon and its tributaries.
So, any fertilizer on the lawn doesn’t have a chance to help the plants; instead, it is swept along by the rain right into the Lagoon.
Thousands of pounds of pollutants enter the Lagoon watershed from excess fertilizer application, causing algal blooms that kill seagrasses and other marine life.
For properties abutting our many surface water bodies, including the Lagoon, the fertilizer ordinance also prohibits application of fertilizer in a 15-foot “fertilizer-free” zone along the shoreline. This restriction applies year-round, not just in the summer.
If you fertilize your yard, please follow these rules. If a residential landscape company fertilizes your yard, make sure they are licensed in Brevard County, which requires them to be trained on chemical applications to lawns and landscapes.
Use your savings and spend your time enjoying your summer vacation. You can still have a beautiful yard. Click on helpthelagoon.org/how-you-can-help/ to find out what you can do to have beautiful yards more suited to our semi-tropical climate.
Additionally, the University of Florida has a dedicated website focused on Florida-Friendly Landscaping.
They offer informative resources and seminars to help, as well as Master Gardeners and horticultural experts who can answer gardening questions, take soil samples, and provide guidance on combating weeds and pests.
The Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition is a leading, independent advocate for a healthy Lagoon. The non-profit, non-partisan Coalition brings together organizations, businesses, and individuals who share the goal of supporting the restoration of the Lagoon.
To learn more about what you can do to help the Indian River Lagoon, CLICK HERE.
