In Citrus County you can fertilize a lawn only in April, May and October. If a lawn company is not fertilizing your lawn in July or January, this ordinance is the reason. The county also closes the window during a flood watch, tropical storm watch, or hurricane watch or warning. Check the county page for your address before you buy a bag, because rules can change.
The Months Fertilizer Is Allowed
Fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus may be applied in April, May and October only. The Citrus County fertilizer rules set those three months for homeowners, landscapers and businesses.
The rule closes the other nine months. It closes the dormant season, November to March, and the rainy season, June to September. It also closes any day a flood watch, tropical storm watch, or hurricane watch or warning is issued for Citrus County.
The Calendar at a Glance
Three months are open and nine are closed. This list follows the county rule, and a storm watch can close an open month for as long as it lasts.
- January: closed (dormant season)
- February: closed (dormant season)
- March: closed (dormant season)
- April: open, unless a watch or warning is in effect
- May: open, unless a watch or warning is in effect
- June: closed (rainy season)
- July: closed (rainy season)
- August: closed (rainy season)
- September: closed (rainy season)
- October: open, unless a watch or warning is in effect
- November: closed (dormant season)
- December: closed (dormant season)
Why Summer Is Not the Only Blackout
Many people think the fertilizer ban covers only the summer, but in Citrus County the winter months are closed as well. The county names both the rainy season, June to September, and the dormant season, November to March.
Summer rain moves fertilizer off the lawn and toward the water. Winter dormancy means the grass is not growing enough to use what you apply. In both seasons the fertilizer has little chance of doing its job.
If a bag, a neighbor or a website says to feed your lawn in the winter or midsummer, check it against the county page. Those suggestions may come from another county or another state.
Storm Watches and Hurricane Season
No fertilizer may be applied when a flood watch, tropical storm watch, or hurricane watch or warning is in effect for Citrus County. This can close part of April, May or October, and the rule is easy to miss.
The reason is runoff. Heavy rain on fresh fertilizer sends nitrogen and phosphorus into storm drains and waterways. Look at the forecast before you spread, and wait until any watch or warning has ended.
Where You Cannot Fertilize at Any Time of Year
Fertilizer with nitrogen or phosphorus may not be applied within 25 feet of water in any month. The county lists any spring, pond, stream, lake, canal, sinkhole, wetland, stormwater inlet, and the top of a seawall or embankment.
Do not apply fertilizer to driveways, sidewalks or streets either. If granules land on a hard surface, sweep them back onto the lawn. Do not wash them off with a hose, because the water carries them to the storm drain.
For waterfront yards, such as many in Crystal River and Homosassa, the 25-foot buffer may take up a large share of the yard. Measure it before you spread.
Who Must Follow the Rule
Homeowners, landscapers and businesses must all follow the rule. The county rule applies to lawn services too, so a lawn service works under the same calendar you do.
The county lists some exemptions: bona fide farms, grazing pastures, research lands, golf course operations, vegetable gardens and fruit trees, and institutional applicators. A vegetable garden or a lemon tree in your yard is exempt, but the lawn around it is not.
Crystal River City Limits and Where to Read the Rule
Citrus County and the City of Crystal River both regulate fertilizer, so check the rule for your address. We read the county page and have not confirmed the final details of the city rule, so we do not state them here.
Read the full rule on the Citrus County fertilizer rules page. It links the full text of the ordinance. The county Water Resources office also answers questions. If you live in another city, ask that city whether it has its own rule in addition to the county rule.
What City Green Does
City Green follows the Citrus County fertilizer ordinance in our lawn fertilization and weed control service. Ask about the plan for your lawn with a free estimate. There is no contract.
The closed months are not months off for the lawn. You can still water as needed, watch for chinch bugs and disease, and pull weeds by hand. See lawn pest and disease control if the grass changes color. Keep in mind that weed control products with nitrogen or phosphorus on the label count as fertilizer.
Looking for how much to apply and what to buy? Read how often to fertilize a lawn in Citrus County. Call (352) 601-0682 if you would rather have us look at the lawn.
Key Takeaways
- Fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus may be applied only in April, May and October.
- January to March and June to September are closed, not only the summer.
- No applications during a flood watch, tropical storm watch, or hurricane watch or warning.
- Stay 25 feet from water and off driveways, sidewalks and streets, in every month.
- The rule applies to homeowners and lawn companies. Check the rule for your address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fertilize in March in Citrus County?
No. March is in the dormant season, and the county does not allow fertilizer from November to March.
Can I fertilize in September?
No. September is part of the rainy season, June to September, and fertilizer is not allowed. October is the next open month.
Is there a fertilizer ban in Florida?
Florida has no single statewide ban. Many counties and cities, including Citrus County, set their own fertilizer rules. UF/IFAS advises checking with your county Extension office for the local rule.
Do the rules apply to my fruit trees and vegetable garden?
No. The county exempts vegetable gardens and fruit trees from the rule, though the lawn around them is covered.
Where can I read the ordinance?
Use the Citrus County fertilizer rules page, which links the full ordinance text. For questions, contact the county Water Resources office or the UF/IFAS Extension office in Citrus County.
Related Services and Areas
Questions about your own property? Contact the City Green team or visit the home page to see everything we do.
- Lawn Fertilization & Weed Control
- Lawn Pest & Disease Control
- Pest Control in Crystal River, FL
- Pest Control in Homosassa, FL
- Pest Control in Citrus Springs, FL
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Written by Katharine Osborne, Owner and Operations Manager, City Green Pest Control & Fertilization. Katharine handles the office and the customer relationships at City Green.
