Iowans who have sidewalks and driveways they care for sometimes face a quandary during the wintertime about the use of salt to break up ice and provide traction. Aaron Steil, a consumer horticulture specialist at the Iowa State University Extension, says if you don’t use enough ice melt, you might slip and fall, but if you use too much, the eventual runoff could critically damage your lawn and nearby plants.
The chemicals used in some ice-melting pellets can cause damage to your concrete, especially if it’s newly poured this year. Steil says there’s a simple remedy that only employs the use of two key ingredients.
When spring arrives, you’ll likely know right away if you used too much salt, as anything that was growing nearby may be struggling — or it’s already dead.
Steil says it’s possible those plants can be revived in the spring with a heavy watering to wash out the salt.
