Most of us are quite familiar with the damage that road salt and spray inflict upon vehicles. Plants, trees and shrubs on roadsides feel the burn of salt on their foliage and roots. Sensitive plants near your driveway and walkways may feel the burn from the slush that melts off your car and ice melt you use. Just like on your car, the damage may not be apparent for some time as the salt works its way into the soil to the roots.
Along your driveway and walkways:
- Avoid shoveling salty snow onto garden beds, the base of trees and shrubs or your lawn or your near your water well - if you have one. (I know, just where DO you put it?).
- If traction is all you need, use sand or granular kitty litter (clay).
- Avoid Sodium Chloride and table salt which are too harsh for landscapes.
- Use Calcium, Potassium or Magnesium Chloride (white pellets) which release slower and are less toxic to plants. Use cautiously, though, because they are corrosive to concrete and metals.
- Use a combination of ice melt and sand, so you use less caustic materials.
- Liquid solutions are more effective than dry, so dissolve a small amount of ice melt in enough hot water to melt the solids (approximately two parts water to one part salt). Keep in mind that this will corrode metal. Use a plastic hand sprayer for small areas such as a deck, walkway and steps. It’s easiest to spray before the wintry weather begins.
- If possible, wait until the precipitation (sleet, snow, etc.) and your shoveling are done, before applying deicing materials.
To reduce roadside damage:
- Set up something to block the sand, salt and snow such as a burlap screen, snowfence, hay bales, etc. near sensitive hedges.
- Wrap salt-sensitive plantings with burlap.
- Hose off heavy salt applications and direct the spray of water towards the street (on a sunny, warm day to avoid creating black ice).
...Oh, and remember to bend your knees while lifting each shovelful of snow.
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