By Harvey Goodman
Winter brings with it a host of delightful experiences, but also many not so pleasant ones. Everyone admires the artistic features that appear on our trees and bushes when they're outlined by fresh snow. The air we breathe seems refreshingly clean. But the sidewalks we walk on can be icy and dangerous.
The sound of a salting truck is probably music to the ears of a motorist. The salt will soon cause the ice to melt and allow drivers to travel the roads safely. De-icing local sidewalks with salt accomplishes on the streets, what the salt trucks on the roads.
Fast forward to the Spring …. many of us will find that the lawn lying adjacent to the sidewalk and driveway have innumerable dead spot. Now that you have made the observation, can you suggest a cause and treatment ?
The dead spots along the sidewalk and driveway were probably caused by the road salt and sidewalk de-icers washing into the lawn, and literally burning the roots of turf grasses. Research has shown that damage from road salting can occur even if the lawn is 30 feet set in from the curb .
Controlling salt trucks is probably beyond your ability – certainly beyond mine. However, we can control what we place on our sidewalks and driveways.
If possible, use sand, sawdust or cat litter instead of salt. The best advantage in using these is that they are bio-degradable and will not harm your lawn …or for that matter the sidewalk or driveway .
If you must use salt, then follow the directions on the package very carefully. Don't overdo the application. Use only enough salt to allow the ice to become brittle…at this point you can scrape away the ice and salt using a shovel or ice breaker .
As an alternative to road salt, you may want to use calcium chloride, which is more like table salt. As an additional benefit, calcium chloride melts ice at a lower temperature and requires far less of the product.
Come Spring, flush the soil by deep-watering below the root line of the grass in order to leach away accumulated salts
Winter Weather Plant Aid
Windburn happens when plants lose water from their leaves to winter's drying air. Always water perennials and trees well before winter to give them an edge . To give the plants additional support, you may wish to spray them with an anti-transpirant such as Wilt-Pruf or CloudCover. Both create a thin film that holds moisture in the leaves and needles of evergreens. Incidentally, inside the house anti-transpirants will retard needle-drop on Christmas trees, greens and wreaths.
Questions or comments on gardening and plant care can be addressed to : The Plant Doctor c/o Queens Publishing Co., 41-02 Bell Blvd., Bayside, New York 11361 or e-mail Plant.Doctor@Prodigy.net
