Winter Lawn Care: Salt and Lawn Grass Don’t Mix
Thursday, December 13th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
With the ice and snow onslaught that many are facing in the Midwest and Northeast, lawn care is likely the last thing on people’s minds. Certainly our sympathies and prayers go out to those impacted by power, heat and water losses. But as the snow and ice cause many to reach for the buckets and barrels of salt and ice melt we must point out that salt can weaken, damage and even kill your lawn. The effect of road salt to lawns, combined with pounding and compaction from foot traffic and piled snow increases stress on grassy areas, leaving it vulnerable to weed invasion and disease. It’s reported that Kentucky bluegrass is most prone to salt damage.
How to avoid salt in the lawn? Take care to apply de-icing salt to only your pavement or walking areas after removing snow. Avoid shoveling or plowing snow laden with salts onto your lawn or turf areas. Use calcium chloride based salts for de-icing as they may cause less damage. Even better, use kitty litter or sand for traction in icy spots; it’s much more landscape friendly. Contrary to popular thought, do not use fertilizers for de-icing. They can contribute to ground water pollution when the snows melt.
And unless you are extremely fit physically, for your heart’s sake, don’t try to remove all the snow in one fell swoop. The stress of swinging heavy shovels of snow in the cold can be fatal. Enlist others to help.
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