Gardeners have visions of lush ornamentals laden with blooms of all shapes and colors, tremendous vegetables, delectable fruits and well-manicured lawns. Unfortunately, at times this same motivation leads to practices that can be harmful to the environment and to our beloved plants like over fertilizing.
All plants have certain requirements like water, nutrients and light.
These needs must be satisfied so plants can grow and develop properly. However, if we exceed these plants' requirements there is a good chance that we will do more harm than good, especially where fertilizer is concerned. Excessive fertilization can cause unused fertilizer to leach through the soil and contaminate groundwater, and to run off the soil surface after heavy rainfall and contaminate surface water. Excess fertilizer in surface water can increase algae growth in streams and lakes. When the excess algae die, the oxygen level in the water is lowered, which in turn kills fish and other aquatic animals.