Rock Salt = Kill Lawn?

[Jason Pallas]

Will rock salt really Kill a lawn? How quick? How long? How effectively? I'm not worried about replacing the sod/seed.

[Acute Cut]

They recently ran a short story in one of the turf mags. Ill look it up for you tomorrow and let ya know.

[LGM]

Yes salt will kill turf grass, Not sure about time length but i knowno grass will grow were salt has been on the soil , it sort of sterilizes the soil.

[GroundKprs]

Salt does not directly kill plants. Salts absorbs moisture. Salts in soil reverse the normal absorbtion of water by plants, so water is drawn out of plants, even when soil is saturated. Thus plants are deprived of water, go into dormancy if possible, and will die from lack of water eventually.

If you are speaking of turf adjacent to winter salted walkways, sometimes they will recover on their own as salts are leached out of soil by spring rains. If immediate repair is mandated, get a simple salinity meter, and test soil in damaged areas. If very high, just replacing sod will probably result in burned new sod. Best to remove and replace soil to a 6" depth, then seed or sod. Use the meter to determine how far off the pavement you have to go - as you get further away, you may not have to go so deep.

In sandy soils in our area, the grass will usually recover on it's own, because the salt is easily leached out before the grass dies from drought. With your generally heavier soils in that area, you may have to do the replacement process.

[Edited by GroundKprs on 03-16-2001 at 11:59 PM]

[Paradise Yard Service]

We pour rock salt on tree stumps and cover with plastic. In 6 mos da buggah is dead! I think it will kill grass.

Aloha,
P.Y.S.