4.4 Deliver targeted education and resources to HOAs

Key Message: Lawn care standards imposed in deed-restricted communities can contribute to excess fertilizer use and water pollution. Educating Homeowner Associations about Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ practices is an efficient way to maximize environmental benefits with limited educational resources.

Importance

Florida’s growing population of newcomers often brings landscaping expectations that are poorly suited to the state’s climate and ecosystems. Many deed restrictions reinforce these expectations, requiring residents to maintain turfgrass to the water’s edge rather than promoting fertilizer-free natural buffers along ponds, lakes, and bays. Ongoing education about the value of native and Florida-Friendly landscapes—requiring less work, fertilizer, and irrigation—is essential.

Because HOAs typically manage large common areas and often mandate landscaping standards for individual yards, targeted outreach to HOAs can influence landscape management practices on a broad scale. Engaging HOA Boards of Directors or Community Association Managers is a more efficient use of educational resources than focusing on individual homeowners. Improving landscaping and fertilizer application practices in deed-restricted communities will help reduce nutrient inputs to local waterways.

Overview

As of 2025, 309 unique HOAs are registered with Sarasota County’s Neighborhood Services program. Neighborhoods share information through the Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA), the Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations (CCNA), and other networks. Some communities are organized under Master Associations, such as Palmer Ranch, which governs 32 subdivisions. Rapid development in eastern and southern Sarasota County has led to new neighborhoods following common landscaping plans, which are often inherited without review.

HOA landscaping guidelines vary widely and are often carried over from previous management without considering local soil conditions, stormwater management needs, or the nutrient content of reclaimed irrigation water. During initial construction, lots are often scraped and filled, leaving poor-quality soils that require supplemental plant nutrition. Without proper guidance, this leads to excessive fertilizer and chemical use.

When developers turn over management and maintenance responsibilities to homeowners after a majority of homes are sold, it presents an excellent opportunity to engage HOA Boards of Directors or Community Association Managers. Targeting these leaders is a more efficient and effective use of educational resources than focusing on individual homeowners, and it offers a critical chance to introduce opportunities for Florida-adapted landscaping and best management practices.

Several organizations—Sarasota County Government, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP), UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, Science and Environment Council, Lakewatch Program, Healthy Pond Collaborative, Suncoast Waterkeeper, and consulting businesses—provide educational materials, classes, and on-site assistance to homeowners and HOAs regarding landscape, stormwater pond, and waterway BMPs (see Chapter 7). Examples include:

• The Healthy Ponds Guide and the HOA Healthy Ponds Workshop, which connect landscape BMPs to family health, local wildlife, and property values.
• Brief “field experiences” such as participating in native plant installations, water quality testing, or tours of BMP demonstration sites to increase learning and adoption.

The UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program targets HOAs, homeowners, and developers, while the Green Industries Best Management Practices (GI-BMP) program focuses on commercial landscapers (see Chapter 4.5). The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ program is implemented statewide and offers a suite of resources, classes, and trainings organized around nine FFL principles.

The nine Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ principles are a science-based approach to maintaining attractive landscapes while reducing water, fertilizer, and pesticide use.

• Right Plant, Right Place
• Water Efficiently
• Fertilize Appropriately
• Mulch
• Attract Wildlife
• Manage Yard Pests Responsibly
• Recycle Yard Waste
• Reduce Stormwater Runoff

UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County also offers the Neighborhood Best Practices Program, a self-paced online course consisting of nine modules covering topics such as stormwater ponds, preservation areas, trees, landscaping, irrigation, and fertilization. Each module was developed in partnership with University of Florida faculty and Sarasota County staff and was designed to for HOA residents and Board Members.

The Sarasota County Starter Kit further helps newcomers acclimate to the region by highlighting best practices for living near stormwater ponds, adopting Florida-Friendly Landscaping™, and protecting coastal wetlands. Recommended BMPs include using compost and organic fertilizers instead of synthetic fertilizers (see Chapter 4.7) and incorporating turfgrass alternatives, such as perennial peanut and sunshine mimosa, which fix atmospheric nitrogen and require less water and no fertilizer.

A new UF/IFAS tool helps homeowners calculate fertilizer applications based on the nutrient content of reclaimed irrigation water (see Chapter 1.2).

Approach

Despite ongoing outreach efforts, many residents remain unaware of proper fertilizer use or the practices employed by their landscaping companies. Developing and promoting model language for HOA bylaws and landscape vendor contracts could significantly increase compliance with local fertilizer ordinances and BMPs.

Model contract language serves both as an educational tool and as a means for HOAs and homeowners to advocate for environmentally responsible and cost-effective landscaping services. While UF/IFAS provides model Florida-Friendly contract templates, locally tailored templates specific to Sarasota County should be developed and promoted.

For example, the Palmer Ranch Master Association provides a template for its subdivisions to require contractors to follow BMPs for turf and ornamental maintenance, fertilization, pest control, and irrigation.

Promoting coordination between landscaping and stormwater pond management companies can further reduce fertilizer and irrigation needs and eliminate conflicting management practices. Widely promoting best fertilizer practices, including the Urban Fertilizer Ordinance (see Chapter 4.3) and synthetic fertilizer alternatives (see Chapter 4.7), to all homeowners and renters, is an ongoing need.

Resources

• Sarasota County Government Neighborhood Services 
• UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program
• UF/IFAS Neighborhood Best Practices Program
• UF/IFAS Sarasota County Starter Kit
• UF/IFAS Training Manual and Instruction Booklet, Florida LAKEWATCH
• UF/IFAS Extension model language for a Florida Friendly Landscaping Maintenance Contract
• Model Florida-Friendly Landscaping Management Contract
• UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County residential fertilizer application calculator for use with reclaimed water irrigation

Status

Implementation ongoing by Sarasota County Government, SBEP, UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, Science and Environment Council

Performance Measure

• Comprehensive BMP manual for nutrient management in HOAs
• Increased number of HOAs engaged with organizations providing education and implementation
• Increased funding and programming for HOA nutrient reduction education and implementation
• Public templates available for landscape vendor contracts or HOA stormwater master plans that integrate nutrient reduction language

Experts or Leads

Jennifer Rudolph, Sarasota County Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship Team (NEST); Michael D’Imperio UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County; Megan Barry, SBEP; Nate Hoffman, Beautiful Ponds; Sean Patton, Stocking Savvy; Steve Suau, Carbon Life LLC; Nicole Iadevaia, CHNEP.

Cost Estimate

$50,000-$100,000

Related Activities

Chapter 1.2, Chapter 4.5, Chapter 4.7, Chapter 7.1