With the rainy season arriving, the City of Cape Coral reminds everyone that fertilizer use rules changed on June 1.

Applying fertilizer containing phosphorus or nitrogen is prohibited from June 1 through September 30. Eliminating the use of phosphorus and nitrogen during the wet season helps to protect our canals and waterways, quality of life, and economy.

Excess nutrients can cause harmful algal blooms that can cause fish kills, harm pets and wildlife, and potentially injure people who encounter it.

Critical points of the fertilizer ordinance to remember:

• Fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus are prohibited between June 1 and September 30.
• No fertilizer is allowed if a flood watch/warning, a tropical storm watch/warning, or a hurricane watch/warning is in effect.
• Fertilizer cannot be used within 15 feet of any body of water.
• Phosphorus fertilizer is prohibited any time of year unless a soil test in the past two years identifies a phosphorus deficiency.
• The percentage of slow-release nitrogen content in any fertilizer used during the remainder of the year (October-May) must be at least 50 percent.
• No grass clippings or vegetative debris may be swept or blown into stormwater drains, conveyances, bodies of water, sidewalks, or roadways.