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Overcoming Salt Damage: Reseeding & Weed Prevention

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heavily-damaged-euonymus

Overcoming Salt Damage: Reseeding & Weed Prevention It appears that the cold weather is behind us right now, but you never know what Mother Nature has in store for us in the upcoming weeks. For right now, we are going to enjoy the warmer temperatures and hope for the best. With the warmer temperatures, the grass is beginning to grow and trees and shrubs are waking up from their hibernation period. As this is happening, we are beginning to see how the attempts to keep streets and sidewalks passable have resulted in extensive damage to turf and landscape plants. In particular, we are seeing the effects of salt damage over the winter. Normal spring rains will help to wash the salt into the soil and reduce its effects on the grass, but in many cases, some reseeding or resodding will have to be completed for preliminary weed prevention. If these areas are not repaired, they are prime sites for weeds to germinate and grow. Weeds are more adapted to survive in soil conditions that won’t support good turf growth, so early weed prevention is crucial.

What about Plants That Have Been Damaged by Salt?

Reseeding a strip along a sidewalk or driveway is a good deal easier than trying to help a landscape plant recover from salt damage. In the picture above you will see some Euonymus that was heavily damaged by salt. There was a good deal of snow that fell in northern Illinois this winter. As soon as you cleared away the snow from one snowfall, another would quickly cover everything up again. When that snow was removed, salt that had been spread on the sidewalk was scooped up along with the new snow and moved off the sidewalks. This salt and snow mix was piled on throughout the winter, forming larger and larger piles. As this salty mixture melted, it drew out the moisture from the leaves, resulting in some badly damaged leaves. It will take some time to determine the extent of the damage.

Should I Cover My Landscape Plants with Burlap?

Many people and municipalities use burlap to protect their plants from salt damage during the winter, and this is a good idea. Unfortunately, it may be too late for these plants. I will watch these plants and monitor their recovery. As I said, it is too early to tell the extent of the damage, so all I can do is hope for the best.