• Phosphorus encourages algae growth in water, damaging water plants and animals.Ladoga lake image by cegli from Fotolia.com
  
  

Plants Need Phosphorus

• Plants grow poorly without phosphorus. They need it to produce energy for seed formation and other activities, according to the University of Maine.
  
  

Phosphorus Harms the Environment

• Phosphorus runoff in water causes algae to grow in lakes and other bodies of water. It takes little phosphorus to cause this to occur, so the phosphorus from fertilizer contributes greatly to this problem.
  
  

Bottom Line

• Plants need phosphorus, but only if soil tests show low levels or low pH, according to the University of Maine. Use phosphorus-free fertilizer unless your soil tests low for phosphorus.