Can Salt Damage Your Lawn?
So, can salt damage your lawn? While I was spreading salt on my walkway a neighbor asked if there could be lawn damage from the salt. I told her yes, but it was unlikely because grass damaged by salt usually comes back as the snow melts and spring rain washes away the salt.
Can Salt Damage Your Lawn?
“When salt dissolves in water, the sodium and chloride ions separate. When this happens, the sodium ions in the salt replace the other nutrients in the soil that plants need (potassium, calcium, and magnesium), so these nutrients are unavailable to the plant.” — Purdue Extension — Salt Damage in Landscape Plants
So, can salt damage your lawn? Yes, though it can be avoided when salting drives and walkways. Salt can draw moisture out of the soil, dehydrating the grass roots and causing them to die, resulting in brown, withered patches on your lawn. This is especially true if large amounts of salt accumulate near the grass edges. So, what do you do about it?
How Much Is Too Much Salt?
A small amount of salt goes a long way. “Use salt only where it’s critical. When you apply salt to pavement, leave plenty of space between granules. A 12-ounce coffee cup of salt is enough to cover 10 sidewalk squares or a 20-foot driveway.” — Clean Water Minnesota.
You’ve used too much if you see salt left on the ground after the ice melts. If so, sweep up any leftover salt once the ice is gone.
- Follow package directions — Check the recommended application rate on the salt bag.
- Spread evenly — Use a spreader to distribute the salt evenly across the surface.
- Shovel first — Remove as much snow as possible before salting
- Control the Spread — Try not to salt the lawn when spreading salt
What Should You Do If You Find Lawn Damage?
Salt-damaged areas will appear brown or yellow with a crunchy texture, usually near the driveway edges where salt runoff occurs. When the temperature goes above freezing, water your lawn next to walkways. It helps dilute the salt concentration. In some cases, fertilization may help. If significant damage occurs, remove dead grass and reseed or sod the affected areas. Or Call Berger Hargis. If you don’t want to deal with it, call our experts; we diagnose the problem and offer long-term solutions.
How Can We Help You?
Berger Hargis has a company philosophy of providing personal excellence for all our services. Our growth and success have been due entirely to our commitment to honest, excellent customer service. The company is built on the referral business we have received due to this philosophy.
So, if we can answer any questions about landscaping or snow removal, please don’t hesitate
to Contact Us.
About the Author
Randy Clark is a speaker, coach, and author. He publishes a weekly blog at Randy Clark Leadership.com. Randy is passionate about social media, leadership development, and flower gardening. He’s a beer geek, and on weekends he can be found fronting the Rock & Roll band Under the Radar. He’s the proud father of two educators; he has four amazing grandchildren and a wife who dedicates her time to helping others. Randy is the author of the Amazon bestseller The New Manager’s Workbook, a crash course in effective management.
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
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