Iowans who have sidewalks and driveways they care for sometimes face a quandary during the wintertime about the use of salt to break up ice and provide traction.
Aaron Steil, a consumer horticulture specialist at the Iowa State University Extension, says if you don’t use enough ice melt, you might slip and fall, but if you use too much, the eventual runoff could critically damage your lawn and nearby plants.
“Excessive salt can be a problem, especially for those areas near sidewalks and driveways,” Steil says, “and the best option is just to not overuse salt.”
The chemicals used in some ice-melting pellets can cause damage to your concrete, especially if it’s newly poured this year. Steil says there’s a simple remedy that only employs the use of two key ingredients.
“One of the things that we do here on the campus of Iowa State, that’s a really nice way to reduce salt but still have the safety that you need, is to mix salt with sand,” Steil says. “Doing that, you get some traction and you’re using less salt.”
When spring arrives, you’ll likely know right away if you used too much salt, as anything that was growing nearby may be struggling — or it’s already dead.
“When we have a buildup of salt in the soils next to these areas that are heavily salted, it can cause a drying out, as salt can desiccate roots and those kinds of things,” he says, “and so it can cause some damage when it’s in excess.”
Steil says it’s possible those plants can be revived in the spring with a heavy watering to wash out the salt.