If a fertilizer has an analysis with zero as the middle number, e.g., 15-0-15, then under Michigan law, the product is guaranteed to be phosphorous free.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not specified
• D. Cannot determine

Answer: (B)

The numbers on a fertilizer label show how much of each nutrient is included: nitrogen, phosphate (reported as P2O5), and potash. The middle number being zero means no phosphate is declared as part of the product’s nutrient content. But claiming the product is phosphorus free is a separate legal assertion. Michigan law does not automatically equate a zero in the middle position with a guaranteed absence of all phosphorus in the product. Phosphorus could appear in forms or amounts not captured by that single label line, or there may be trace amounts governed by different rules. So a zero in the middle does not guarantee phosphorus-free status.