Do you know the Best Management Principles (also known as BMP's) are for designing and maintaining your yard? The criteria of SJRWMD's Florida Water Star green certification program' landscaping modules and the UF/IFAS's Florida Yards & Neighborhoods nine principles are the best management practices for our state and can be utilized across the country and worldwide.

Best practices start with understanding the process of what plants need to be healthy. In Florida, Extension, Master Gardeners, and other garden experts hear from seasonal residents: "Gardening in Florida is so different than up north." What I explain to my audiences and clients is that once you understand the process of how plants grow - gardening is the same world-wide. While the plant species may change - how to assess and manage your landscape uses the same principles. While the snowbirds think its easier to garden up North, all it is really is doing what their parents did, what their neighbors did. They didn't understand the process of what plants need to grow.

You need to know the conditions of the site, i.e. sunlight, pH, soil moisture. Determine how you want to use the landscape, and how much time you want to invest in maintaining it. Some want their landscape to change with the seasons, or to have lots of seasonal plantings, while others want their landscape to stay the same year after year, with little maintenance. After determining conditions, selecting plants that utilize those same conditions, installing them correctly (correct depth, time of year, and space for mature size), and maintain the landscape appropriately (awareness, weeding, no excessive pruning, no overwatering, or overfertilizing), and you have a low-matinenance, sustainable landscape. BMP's will help gardeners achieve that effectively, reducing needless waste, pollution, costs, and labor.

While every state or organization wants to have their own unique statement as to Landscape BMP's - they really are the same criteria but based on their own state's soils and seasons, and the organization's agenda.

Does your landscaping and maintenance follow Florida-friendly BMP's?  Check it out.

Florida Water Star Silver and Gold Certification

Florida Yards  & Neighborhoods 9 Principles

Controversial Fertilizer Study Heating Up

In an effort to reduce stormwater runoff pollution in water bodies, fertilizing ordinances were passed by Florida cities in 2009. This fertilizer ban prohibited applications on lawns during the summer citing that lawns did not need additional nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen and phosphorus increase the TDML's (total maximum daily loads) of water bodies. Controversy grew as the University of Florida published a study that said the ordinances would have unintended consequences, such as contributing to more stormwater runoff as homeowners and companies would use more fertilizer during other seasons.

Titled "Unintended Consequences Associated with Certain Urban Fertilizer Ordinance," the study was published in March 2009 amid virulent debate at the Capitol -- and at the request of industry lobbyists.


Though critics have been loud in their indictment of the study, which the institute acknowledges was funded by the fertilizer industry, it has been used at government meetings statewide to slow regulation.


Now Sarasota County, which in 2007 enacted the first strict fertilizer ordinance in Florida, has taken aim at the IFAS study.


"It's tobacco science," said County Commissioner Jon Thaxton, who is leading the way at the county to compel researchers to release documents associated with the study.

Now for the first time in its history, the University of Florida has pulled the contentious study, citing that they are going to publish more thorough research backed by more evidence. It will be interesting to see what happens and who gets the green - fertilizer companies or cities working to lower their TMDL's?

Fertilizing correctly is the best solution. If homeowners would only learn how to apply the right fertilizer analysis in the right amounts at the right time of year, we would have healthier landscapes, less pest and disease problems, and cleaner water bodies.

Its not the correct time of the year now for fertilizing, but save this University of Florida page for the springtime. Make sure you understand the best management practices to take care of your lawn.