Yes, we have a County ordinance that forbids the application of any fertilizer containing a nitrogen component (so just about everything) between June 1 and Sept 30. It's to prevent fertilizer runoff in storm water during our rainy season.
The main reason they brought it in was to stop those lawn care companies who drive around with tanks full of soluble fertilizer from spraying people's lawns willy-nilly all summer, then having all that fert wash into the storm drains the same afternoon in a downpour.
Our nurseries and garden centers still stock fertilizer, though. They are required to post the ordinance to inform customers.
I just apply my pelleted time-release fert towards the end of May and everything does fine through the summer. I don't have any lawn though. I'm also amending all my beds and pots with alfalfa pellets these days and they are a nice little boost of both major, minor and micro-nutrients without the restrictions . . .
I even sprayed my orchids with some filtered alfalfa 'tea' a while back. The score's not in on that little experiment, but it certainly did no harm anyway. Maybe I'll give them another dose . . .
