But the hook, according to the Tampa Bay Goth-like Misery Times, is that our fertilizer runoff is aiding the toxic blooms.
SW Florida has banned nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizer during the rainy season for years. Here’s the dirty secret: Much of FL sandy “soil” has a naturally high phosphorous content. Phosphorous in fertilizer has been banned in many FL locations year round. The only way to legally use lawn or flowering plant fertilizer containing phosphorous is with a soil test demonstrating a deficiency. Slow-release nitrogen fertilizer is permitted.