Free Florida Tool
Is the Fertilizer Blackout On Today?
Pick your city to see whether its seasonal blackout is in effect today, the exact dates, and the rule behind them.
No blackout today — Sarasota is outside its seasonal fertilizer blackout
Blackout window: June 1 – September 30 every year.
Year-round local rules on application rates, buffers from water and weather still apply.
Source: Sarasota County Code Ch. 54 fertilizer ordinance · last verified 2026-04-17
Fertilizer dates only — this tool doesn’t cover watering-day restrictions.
Every verified date
All 9 cities at a glance
| City | County | Blackout window |
|---|---|---|
| Sarasota | Sarasota County | Jun 1 – Sep 30 |
| Venice | Sarasota County | Jun 1 – Sep 30 |
| North Port | City of North Port (within Sarasota County) | Apr 1 – Sep 30 (Inside North Port city limits) / Jun 1 – Sep 30 (Outside city limits (unincorporated Sarasota County)) |
| Bradenton | Manatee County | Jun 1 – Sep 30 |
| Palmetto | Manatee County | Jun 1 – Sep 30 |
| Parrish | Manatee County | Jun 1 – Sep 30 |
| Lakewood Ranch | Manatee County (north) / Sarasota County (south) | Jun 1 – Sep 30 |
| Port Charlotte | Charlotte County | Jun 1 – Sep 30 |
| Englewood | Charlotte County (east) / Sarasota County (west) | Jun 1 – Sep 30 |
Full write-ups: Sarasota County and Manatee County blackout guides.
Questions
Good to know
What is a fertilizer blackout?
A local ordinance that bans applying nitrogen and/or phosphorus fertilizer to lawns and landscapes for part of the year — almost always the rainy season, so nutrients don’t wash into waterways. Each county or city sets its own exact dates.
Why do the dates differ by city?
Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties each passed their own ordinance. Within North Port city limits, a stricter CITY ordinance applies on top of the county’s (its blackout starts two months earlier); just outside city limits, the county’s dates apply instead — pick North Port and the tool asks which one is you.
Does this cover watering days too?
No — this tool is fertilizer dates only. Watering-day restrictions are set separately by the water management district and aren’t covered here.
What if my city isn’t listed or shows "not verified"?
We only publish a date range once we’ve confirmed it against the county or city’s own ordinance text. If your city shows as unverified, check with your county extension office or code enforcement rather than assume a neighboring city’s dates apply.
Blackout season is exactly when weeds and turf pests get worse.
Waves Pest Control can help without breaking the rules — iron and micronutrient programs are fair game year-round.