De-Icing Salt Products and Potential Damage to Plants
With the recent snow and cold weather most of us have to use some type of product to help keep the resulting ice under control. There are many products on the market that can be used and each has different properties, end results and impact on your landscape. These products can be very effective if used correctly. But if they are overused or misapplied, they can damage the concrete (example on right) as well as nearby plant material, including the lawn. There are four main materials that are used as chemical de-icers:
♦ Calcium Chloride
♦ Sodium Chloride (Salt)
♦ Potassium Chloride
♦ Magnesium Chloride
All of these products are acceptable for use. Limited use of any of these products should cause little damage.
Problems occur when they are used excessively and there is not adequate rainfall/moisture to wash or leach the material from the area. It is still best to remove the snow and ice by hand when possible and spot treat with the ice melts, thereby using lesser amounts. Putting these products on newly poured cement is also not recommended for the first year.If damage from de-icers is going to occur, it will not be noticeable right away. Problems are uncovered in the spring when the plants and grass along the walks are dead.
For areas that may have had excessive runoff or product applied – additional hand watering in the winter on warmer days will contribute to your plant health in the spring.