When the winter weather sets in, that is a great time to make sure you have ice melt on hand. Since ice-melt is made of salt, it’s important to know how to use it in a way that minimizes damage to your plants. Here are some tips to help you with this.
The first tip is to minimize your use of ice melt. Be sure to apply it liberally to heavily trafficked areas such as sidewalks and near your front porch, but also be mindful of how much you need to use. The less you use, the less risk there is of damage.
When your ice melts, it’s important to avoid sweeping those puddles and the salt remnants into areas with plants. By sweeping salt into your plants you risk drying them out. Therefore, try to keep salt away from planting areas always.
If you have to apply ice melt to an area close to plants, it may be a good idea to prepare that area for salt. To accomplish this, place mulch over the areas that will absorb ice melt that way it minimizes its damage.
Have more questions about salt damage? Ask a question in the comments section. Lifescape would be happy to help.