Phosphates & Pesticides

If you must Fertilize your Lawn…

Phosphorus / Pesticides – If you must fertilize your lawn, please do not do so more than once a year. Use a granular (applied with a spreader – not sprayed) slow release fertilizer with similar numbers to 28- 3 -10 , the middle number being the level of phosphorus. Therefore – the closer to ‘0’ the better. Also, please use phosphorus free liquid dishwashing and laundry detergents.

DO NOT use insecticides on your lawn unless absolutely necessary, insecticides are extremely harmful to humans (cancerous) and the environment. If necessary, only spot spray areas that contain harmful insects.

Here’s why… Phosphorus and Pesticides (herbicides / insecticides) can enter our lake from ditches via runoff from your lawn and tile beds. Phosphorous promotes the growth of vegetation in our lake – often referred to as weeds. Herbicides (found in weed & feed fertilizers) are actual growth hormones – not poison. They are designed to speed up the life cycle of lawn weeds (ex. dandelions) thus causing them to shrivel up and die prematurely. When herbicides enter the lake, this in turn causes the vegetation in the lake to grow faster and decay much sooner than natural (i.e. in July as opposed to November). Decaying plants deplete the lake of oxygen, which kills the fish and desirable vegetation. These plants can then turn into Blue/Green Algae, which is poisonous and therefore harmful to humans and pets. Sadly enough if this trend continues, it will kill our lake and vastly lower our property values!

*This information is courtesy of Pride and Preston Lake