Yard Smarts Question of the Week:

Can road salt damage my lawn and plants?

Various studies have shown that certain types of road salt can damage vegetation growing near roadways. Symptoms of salt damage include brown needles on the roadway-facing side of evergreens. Salt-laden run-off water can damage some plants or stunt their growth because the heavy salt content in the soil makes it harder for plants to absorb water.

Preventing problems is the key here – there is nothing that will reverse the salt damage. For your personal use on driveways and sidewalks, avoid using salt. Instead, de-ice with calcium chloride or calcium magnesium acetate which are less harmful to plants (and use them in moderation), or try a coarse sand mixture to improve traction.

To help prevent salt damage, you can protect bushes and evergreens near the road by covering them (at least the side facing the road) with burlap. It’s also a good idea to thoroughly water these plants before the ground freezes, and again in spring when the ground thaws (the second watering will help flush salt through the soil).

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