Winter Salt Effects On Lawn and Garden
Excerpted from: How Does Sidewalk Salt Affect Your Home & Yard?
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Each winter, snow-covered cities spread sidewalk salt for safer driving conditions. De-icing products
do more than clear your sidewalk and driveway.
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Sidewalk salt, also known as road salt, ice salt and rock salt, is a common, affordable and effective
de-icing compound used by cities and homeowners across the country. But it does have some
downsides.
Sidewalk salt that gets into your lawn and garden can damage to a slew of things around your
home. You may be willing to accept the potential side effects, or decide to try greener road salt
alternatives. Here’s what you need to know.
Many types of de-icing compounds, including chlorides and non-chlorides, get lumped under the
sidewalk salt umbrella. There are four common ice melt active ingredients: sodium
chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and
calcium magnesium acetate.
While each has a different chemical makeup, they all melt ice by lowering the freezing point of
water below 32 degrees F. Ice will still form if temperatures drop far enough.
Lowest melting temperature of 15° F
Negatively impacts plants
Least expensive option
Lowest melting temperature of -20° F
Negatively impacts plants
Harmful to skin, may cause ulceration to your dog’s mouth if ingested
Lowest melting temperature of -10° F
Negatively impacts plants
Most harmful to concrete
Lowest melting temperature of 20° F
Has the least effect on plants
Most expensive option
A good pet friendly ice melting product will be specifically formulated to be less toxic, so that
pets will not become dangerously ill in the event that they do accidentally ingest the material.
Another major priority for pet owners is the safety of their furry friends’ paws after they have
walked over the surface of areas with rock salt. The crystals from ice melt have a tendency
to get stuck in the padding of a dog or cat’s paws.
Magnesium chloride has a low toxicity level for humans and dogs, making it safer to be around
than the highly toxic sodium chloride. Magnesium chloride pellets are also round-shaped, so
they will not cut or irritate pet’s paws the way sharp crystals will.
Pet-safe ice melts are considered slightly safer but may still cause gastrointestinal upset such
as vomiting or diarrhea. These ingredients are also less effective at melting ice.
Heavy use can lead to brown and stunted greenery, particularly if you use products containing
sodium chloride.
When “salts settle around the roots of the plant, they can create an environment that prevents the
plant from absorbing water.” Salt can even pull water out of plant roots. This may lead to brown
grass.
Excess salt in your soil also affects a plant’s ability to absorb nutrients. Instead of getting things
like potassium and phosphorus, the plant will soak up salt, which can lead to chloride toxicity.
Since plants can’t sweat out salt, those that have excess sodium will push it into the leaves.
The leaves will then die and fall off, thus removing the excess from the plant. Deciduous plants
are less susceptible to damage over time than evergreens because they shed their leaves
every year.
De-icing salt is well known to cause rust on vehicles. Washing your car often in the winter helps,
but limiting your use of salt is key. Salt can also stain your floor mats, so be sure to clean them
while cleaning your exterior.
Another major concern is sidewalk salt’s effect on concrete driveways, patios and sidewalks.
Although de-icing products are unlikely to visibly damage concrete itself, melting and refreezing
exacerbates existing problems.
The ice that melts needs to go somewhere, and sometimes that means between the cracks in your
driveway. Salt doesn’t interact with the cement that bonds the aggregate together, but the ice acts
as a wedge that can structurally weaken your driveway.
Ice melts can cause damage below ground, too. Salts are by nature very abrasive, so they can
weaken your pipes and even cause leaks.
If all you need is a little extra traction, there are simple solutions. Start by trying sand. It won’t make
snow or ice melt faster, but it will give your tires and shoes more grip.