De-icing Salt Injury (5005)

Rock salt does a good job of deicing sidewalks and driveways, but it can also seriously injure or kill plants growing next to these paved surfaces.

The most obvious damage occurs to turf grass. Rock salt often kills grass leaves, crowns, and roots. Some weeds tolerate the high salt levels, and a common weed called knotweed often moves into areas after the grass dies.

Salt can more subtly damage trees and shrubs growing close to paved surfaces. The soil's high salt content damages the plants' root systems. This causes stunted growth and leaf scorch the following growing season.

For more informaton, please see this Penn State Wane County Extenion web page.

Penn State Horticulture Department

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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