Nitrogen is essential to growing a healthy lawn. In fact, we all need nitrogen to survive—plants and animals alike. It's important, though, to feed your grass the right amount of it to prevent excess nitrogen from entering local waterways where it contributes to toxic algae blooms. In areas like South Florida, it's even more critical.

In summer, South Florida's heavy rain can easily send excess nitrogen into storm drains and other connected systems, a detrimental process called runoff. To help mitigate this problem, Scotts specially developed 65-percent slow-release nitrogen lawn food products, like Scotts® Turf Builder® Southern Lawn FoodFL, to work with Florida's unique climate and soil types. When essential nutrients, like nitrogen, are slowly released over a period of time, your healthy lawn can actually serve as a barrier to runoff.

Through Scotts' Water Positive Landscape initiative, we've also partnered with Florida's key environmental leaders to support water-quality research, marine habitat restoration, homeowner education on water responsibility, and green infrastructure improvements. Clean water is critical, and to drive meaningful change, we have to join together—from the way you nurture the grass in your own yard to the large-scale solutions developed by scientific innovators.

You can help reduce nitrogen runoff by using the right product for your South Florida lawn in the right way. Here are some tips to set you, and our connected waterways, up for success.

• When feeding your lawn, always avoid letting the product land on hard surfaces, such as sidewalks and driveways. If this happens, blow or sweep the particles back onto your lawn.
• Follow the same rule for mowing or landscaping: Blow grass clippings and leaves off of hard surfaces and back onto your lawn to keep them from going into storm drains.
• Feed your lawn at times of year when your grass is actively growing (AKA, mowing season), so it can take up the nutrients applied—and always follow all label directions.
• Use a 65-percent slow-release fertilizer designed for Florida lawns. This will best match your grass type's nutritional needs while avoiding an over-delivery of nitrogen.

In South Florida, using a slow-release lawn food product can make a big impact when it comes to helping protect our waterways. By maintaining a healthy lawn that can serve as a barrier to runoff, you can grow the backyard of your dreams and know it's working in harmony with the environment, too.