chemical care
Taking It Slow BY CINDY RATCLIFF
Enhanced efficiency fertilizers are proving their value in environmentally sensitive areas and beyond.
M
aryland recently passed into law what some are calling one of the toughest
measures in the country regulating the use of lawn fertilizer, limiting both the content and application of fertilizer for urban and suburban areas. With a precedent now in place, other states are looking to follow suit, and it could mean a whole new way of doing business for turf managers.
While the new law places limitations on tradi- tional fertilizer use, it does make special allowances for coated fertilizer products. This has many lawn- care professionals taking a serious look at controlled- release products as a way to save their business and stay in compliance with the new regulations. Of note is the fact it was a lawncare professional who helped convince Maryland lawmakers that
March 2012 / TOTAL LANDSCAPE CARE 49
