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Keeping fertilizer on your lawn and off your driveway is a simple way to help protect our waterways and maintain environmental quality

MARYSVILLE, Ohio, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Fertilizer, applied at the right time and the right amount, can have a major impact on the health of your lawn, which in turn can benefit the environment. While lawn and garden experts may offer a variety of advice on the types of products to use, there is one fact on which they all agree: No matter how much or what brand of fertilizer you spread, applying it properly is key to maximizing those environmental benefits.

Indeed, applying fertilizer to your driveway, sidewalk or patio is never going to cause these hard surfaces to turn lush and green. It is obvious that fertilizer left behind on these surfaces is a waste of product and money. What some people forget, however, is that this type of misapplication can be detrimental to our waterways.

"Feeding your lawn is clearly important, but when fertilizer is left on driveways, sidewalks, or patios, rain or even watering your lawn can flush the excess fertilizer out into the street where it eventually makes its way into storm drains," said Frank Rossi, Associate Professor of Turfgrass Science at Cornell University. "By keeping the nutrients where they should be, consumers can protect the nearby waterways, while maintaining a beautiful lawn."

The key, Rossi and other experts say, is simple: Homeowners using any lawn care product should take an extra few minutes to clean up.

"The simple step of sweeping the driveway or blowing excess granules off the sidewalk and back into the yard is something any homeowner can do to help ensure a more healthy environment," said Chris Schmenk, Director of Environmental Stewardship at The Scotts Company. "University research shows healthy lawns are excellent at trapping and binding fertilizers. And the thicker and healthier the grass, the better it will perform at trapping fertilizers and putting them to good use."

Scotts offers simple tips for practicing responsible environmental stewardship as homeowners grow a lush, healthy lawn:

• After fertilizing, use a broom or leaf blower to remove spilled fertilizer off hard surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, and patios and back onto your lawn.


• When applying fertilizer, consider using a drop spreader or a rotary spreader such as the Scotts EdgeGuard to help keep from dispersing fertilizer onto hard surfaces.


• Mow your lawn regularly at a high height to encourage a deep root system and a thick lawn. There is no better trap for retaining fertilizer than a thick and healthy lawn. A tall, vigorous lawn also is more tolerant to pests and drought.

Dedicated to a Beautiful World

The Scotts Company is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care, with a full range of products for professional horticulture as well. The Company owns the industry's most recognized brands. In the U.S., the Company's Scotts(R), Miracle-Gro(R) and Ortho(R) brands are market leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup(R) brand which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. In Europe, Scotts' brands include Weedol(R), Pathclear(R), Evergreen(R), Levington(R), Miracle-Gro(R), KB(R), Fertiligene(R) and Substral(R).

SOURCE The Scotts Company
CONTACT: Jim King of The Scotts Company, +1-937-578-5622,
[email protected]
Web site: http://www.scotts.com