Choose the right fertilizer: <\/strong>Maryland\u2019s fertilizer law bans fertilizers containing phosphorus.<\/p> Fertilize at the right quantity: <\/strong>You cannot apply more than 0.9 pounds of total nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn, nor more than 2.5 pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet annually.<\/p> Fertilize at the right time: <\/strong>The law restricts using fertilizer between Nov. 15 and March 1. <\/p> Maryland\u2019s fertilizer law, which took effect in 2013, prohibits using fertilizers containing phosphorus<\/strong>. Most Maryland lawns have sufficient phosphorus, but if your soil test indicates a deficiency, you can add it. You can also apply phosphorus when establishing or renovating your lawn.<\/p> All fertilizer products are labeled with three numbers that represent the plant nutrients:<\/p> The law prohibits applying more than 0.9 pounds of total nitrogen per 1,000 square feet each time you fertilize. It also restricts applying more than 2.5 pounds of fertilizer a year for 1,000 square feet.<\/p> Further, at least 20% of the fertilizer must be slow-release. Quick-release fertilizers promote rapid growth but can damage your grass if you don\u2019t use them correctly. We recommend using quick-release fertilizers only on new lawns. <\/p> Use a drop spreader or broadcast spreader to apply fertilizer evenly<\/a>. A drop spreader distributes fertilizer exactly where you want it and in the proper amount, while a broadcast spreader distributes fertilizer widely in all directions. The latter is ideal for large yards. <\/p> Maryland\u2019s fertilizer law restricts using fertilizer between Nov. 15 and March 1 <\/strong>to prevent rainwater from washing fertilizer into estuaries. <\/p> Every grass type has different needs and preferences and requires fertilization at different times of year. Maryland sees warm summers and cool winters, which is ideal for both cool- and warm-season grasses. <\/p> Cool-season grasses: <\/strong>Kentucky bluegrass<\/a> and tall fescue<\/a> require around 2.7 pounds of nitrogen annually, while fine fescue<\/a> requires 1.4 pounds. Apply the first round of fertilizer from May to early June, the second in September, and the last from October to mid-November. <\/p> Warm-season grasses: <\/strong>Bermudagrass<\/a> requires around 2.7 pounds of nitrogen annually, while Zoysiagrass<\/a> requires 1.8 pounds. Apply the first round of fertilizer from May to early June <\/strong>and the second from June to July<\/strong>. <\/p> Follow the lawn fertilizer schedule provided by the University of Maryland<\/a> to fertilize your lawn correctly. Also, check out our guide on month-to-month Maryland lawn care schedule. <\/p> Additional regulations included in Maryland’s lawn fertilizer law include: <\/p> Maryland\u2019s fertilizer law supersedes any city law. However, city or county ordinances usually align with the state law and don’t contradict it.<\/p> Yes, but it isn\u2019t a good idea. Use a drop or broadcast spreader to apply fertilizer evenly. <\/p> Here are some of the best organic fertilizers<\/a> for your Maryland lawn that don\u2019t contain phosphorus: <\/p> Maryland\u2019s fertilizer law aims to prevent fertilizer runoff into the Chesapeake Bay. If you need help with lawn fertilization or any lawn maintenance activities, contact Lawn Love<\/a> and let our pros take over.<\/p> Main Image Credit: Jackson Collins House \/ Acroterion<\/a> \/ Wikimedia Commons \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Under Maryland\u2019s fertilizer law, you can\u2019t use fertilizer containing phosphorus nor fertilize between November 15 and March 1.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":26535,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[205],"tags":[580,375],"class_list":["post-26476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-maryland","tag-lawn-care-md","tag-lawn-fertilization"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-in-maryland-1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Abdul Wadood","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/abdul-wadood\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26476"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40130,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26476\/revisions\/40130"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What kind of fertilizer is allowed in Maryland? <\/span><\/h2>
![\"Fertilizer](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Fertilizer-NPK-1.jpg\")
How much fertilizer is allowed? <\/span><\/h2>
![\"urea](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/AdobeStock_233114797-1.jpeg\")
Fertilize at the right time<\/span><\/h2>
![\"one](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/fertilizing-lawn.jpeg\")
Other requirements<\/span><\/h2>
FAQs<\/span><\/h2>
Should I follow my city\u2019s lawn fertilizer law or Maryland’s?<\/span><\/h3>
Can I fertilize by hand?<\/span><\/h3>
What are the best organic fertilizers?<\/span><\/h3>
When to hire a professional<\/span><\/h2>