Deicing Salt Can Injure Plants
Most people are familiar with the corrosive effects of deicing salt
to cars and road surfaces. Salt is also injurious to many plants growing
along roadsides and driveways.
Most deicing salt is unrefined rock salt containing about 98.5% sodium
chloride. The sodium and chloride ions separate when salt is dissolved
in water and are absorbed by plant roots. These ions are carried through
the plant to actively growing portions such as leaf margins and shoot
tips. Here they can accumulate to toxic levels and result in marginal
scorch.
Rock salt readily absorbs moisture in the soil that normally would
be available to roots. So, even when there is plenty of soil moisture,
the presence of high amounts of salt can result in drought-like conditions
for plants.
High amounts of sodium cause soil to lose it's ability to aggregate
into clumps, thereby becoming easily compacted. Excess sodium also blocks
the availability of important plant nutrients, resulting in nutrient
deficiencies even in fertile soil. All of this results in a general
decrease in plant health and vigor.
Salt from spray splashed by passing vehicles can also enter the above
ground parts of plants directly. This can cause the buds and small twigs
of some plants to lose cold hardiness, resulting in twig dieback.
Calcium chloride is reported to be less damaging to plants, but is
extremely expensive and has serious storing and handling problems. In
many cases sand, light gravel or cinders provide enough traction for
pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Around the house sand or kitty litter
may be adequate.
Avoid piling salt and snow around plants or in places where the melting
snow will drain into plants. Weather permitting, it can be useful to
flush the planting exposed to high levels of salt with fresh water to
dilute the salt solution.
Source: PENpages News, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences
Winter 1996
Winter Preparation for Ornamental Plants
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