I am a Va certified Horticulturist, have been a resident of Virginia Beach all my life, and am a  production manager for a landscape company in Chesapeake.  I am VERY concerned with the OVER use of phosphorus in our area.  Of the many soil samples taken locally that I have seen, NONE have shown a major phosphorus deficiency. At the very least, we should limit the amout of phosphorus available commercially, if not statewide, than regionally, with the understanding that other regions in the commonwealth may have different nutrient needs.

I believe we should strive to follow Minnesota in becoming a phosphorus free commonwealth, at least in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  Attached is a link to a summary of the results of legislation in Minnesota essentially banning the use of phosphorus in fertilizers. 

http://www.mda.state.mn.us/news/publications/protecting/waterprotection/07phoslawrptsumm.pdf

Other states poised to follow Minnesota’s lead

Currently Minnesota is the only state regulating the use of phosphorus fertilizer on lawns and turf. Phosphorus regulating rules or legislation is advancing in four states, Florida, Maine, Michigan, and Wisconsin, all of which have used the Minnesota law as a reference.