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Five Tips to Protect Your Yard From Salt Damage

Five Tips to Protect Your Yard From Salt Damage

Rock salt will be coming out by the buckets very soon if you have not started using it already. It is often heavily used this time of year to help fight the ice and snow on the roads and sidewalks and driveways up North. But, if too much salt builds up on the snow and that snow then ends up on the lawn, the melting snow and leach the rock salt into the soil. This will often lead to damage that can be lasting and expensive to repair once the snows thaw and your grass and landscape plants die from salt poisoning. It is important to protect your yard from salt damage and we here at Country Landscape and Supply are here to help you achieve this goal!

snow and rock salt

Here are five simple things you can do this winter to help protect your yard from rock salt damage this Spring:

  1. Use physical barriers: After a long hard winter of using rock salt, it can build up on your lawn can cause severe damage. Physical barriers such as plastic, burlap or snow fencing will keep the snow in place and can be used to help direct thaw water away from the flower beds and away from your lawn.
  2. Shovel early and shovel often: When you shovel snow often rather than allowing it to accumulate it will be less likely to thaw and freeze into ice that will need salt. This will lower the likelihood of salt damage when the warmer weather of Spring comes and things begin to melt and soak into the ground.
  3. Don’t concentrate the shoveled snow: Avoid shoveling the snow into the same big pile every time you clear off your sidewalk or driveway. Instead, shovel it to a new area each time or try to scatter the shoveled snow all around the yard. Most grasses can handle some salt but a high level can kill the grass in that area.
  4. Use a salt alternative: Many new products will work like rock salt but without harmful side effects. You can choose a de-icing agent that is safe for landscapes. These range from products sold in the store to very affordable alternatives such as sand and cat litter which can add traction and help with thawing ice.
  5. Don’t over salt: If you do choose to go ahead and use rock salt on your property, follow the recommended spreading rate on the bag. Overuse of the sale will not make it perform any better and it will lead to greater damage done once that salt ends up in your lawn and garden beds so consider your options carefully! 

Now is to time to start preparing, before the snows begin to really fall! A few extra minutes of care this winter can save your lawn and your money this Spring. For more tips on how to protect your yard from salt damage this winter and to learn how you can protect your landscape and care for it this winter, contact us today. The Country Landscape and Supply team are ready to go to work for you now in the winter and in the warmer months that lie ahead. Call now for a free consultation!