Jim Schott wrote:
> Does anyone know of a brand or type of salt to use in snow/ice areas
of the
> country?
> The regular salt for melting ice washes off when the ice melts and
runs into
> some of our
> ornamental shrubs and perennials. This always results in plants
nearest to
> the runoff dying by spring. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Any de-icing agent will run-off when the ice melts. The only other way
to melt the ice is with heat, which is very expensive. (Also, back
during the "energy crisis" in the '70s some snowbelt states, such as
Wisconsin, passed laws restricting the use of heated pavement.)
Rock salt is NaCl. Essentially it's big, dirty chunks of the same stuff
that's used for table salt. When the temperature drops below 20-degrees,
straight NaCl looses it's effectiveness. Many highway departments will
spray their truckloads of rock salt with calcium chloride, which
continues to be very effective even below zero. However it is far more
corrosive than plain sodium chloride.
There are other de-icers out there, but they're far more expensive than
rock salt, and probably not cost effective in the large quantities that
you must be using for it to cause significant damage to plants. (If the
run-off is just from a sidewalk or a typical residential driveway,
you're using too much if it's killing the plants. Run-off from a huge
parking lot or a wide roadway could be enough to cause damage, depending
on the level of application as well.)
I would suggest shoveling walks and driveways, and only lightly salting
any remaining icy spots. Also keep in mind that sunlight will do a lot
to melt the snow as well. You could also mix the salt with sand. The
sand, as long as it's not applied too heavy, will allow for traction
until the salt can melt the remaining ice.
--
Warren H.
==========
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> Does anyone know of a brand or type of salt to use in snow/ice areas of the
> country?
> The regular salt for melting ice washes off when the ice melts and runs into
> some of our ornamental shrubs and perennials. This always results in plants
> nearest to the runoff dying by spring. Any suggestions are appreciated.
The safest thing to use around plants is to use sand, ashes, or kitty
litter to improve traction on icy areas.
Use of deicing products can damage both plants and the environment. The
use of fertilizer for melting ice is not recommended because of the
nitrogen and phosphorus pollution effects to our streams and the
estuaries they flow into. The runoff carrying deicing or fertilizer
products from one sidewalk may not cause much harm but the combination
of deicers used on all the sidewalks, roads, and parking lots in the
region could create harmful levels of salts and nutrients entering storm
sewers that eventually empty into our streams and eventually into
estuaries. You can reduce pollution of local streams and estuaries by
selecting the proper materials and methods for removing ice and snow.
The most common deicing agents are:
NaCl (sodium chloride or table salt or rock salt): Rock salt first was
used as a road deicer in the 1940s. An estimated 10 to 14 million tons
will be used yearly on roads in the United States and Canada. Sodium
chloride is relatively inexpensive, but it can burn plants and corrode
metal and concrete. Sodium chloride is the salt most commonly used to
season food. The so-called "acid loving plants" are sodium sensitive and
will usually be killed by NaCl. Usually plants which grow near the
coast will not be affected, but most others will be damaged or die.
NaCl is not too effective at melting ice below 20 degrees F (-7 degrees
C). When sodium chloride is used as a deicer, it can result in roads
becoming salt licking stations for wild animals, particularly deer and
results in road accidents.
CaCl (calcium chloride) (-25 F) Calcium chloride is available in flakes,
pellets or liquid. Calcium chloride produces an exothermic reaction,
giving off heat. Because of this, it often performs better than many
other deicing salts, especially at lower temperatures. Some highway
departments spray liquid calcium chloride over rock salt to lower its
melting temperature. It is less toxic than NaCl to plants but can create
salt damage.
KCl (potassium chloride or muriate of potash) Potassium chloride is a
naturally-occurring material that also is used as a fertilizer (muriate
of potash) and food salt substitute, potassium chloride's high salt
index has the potential to burn foliage and inhibit rooting.
Urea: Urea is synthesized from ammonia and carbon dioxide, urea is used
primarily as a fertilizer. It has a lower burn potential than potassium
chloride, and is a source of nitrogen fertilizer. Adjacent turf may
green and grow excessively in the spring. If urea remains on top of the
soil, it rapidly breaks down to ammonia, which escapes into the air.
Calcium Magnesium Acetate: The best option is calcium magnesium acetate
(CMA). This is a new salt-free melting agent. It is made from dolomitic
limestone and acetic acid (the principal compound of vinegar). CMA is
being researched as an alternative to salts for environmentally
sensitive areas. The product is being used on bridges sensitive to salt
corrosion. Studies have shown the material has low toxicity and is
biodegradable and has little impact on plants and animals and does not
polute water. CMA is a proven low corrosion deicer and sometimes is
added to salt to reduce the corrosion of salt. It is effective over a
similar temperature range as road salt: performance decreases below 20
degrees F (-7 degrees C). Also, CMA deters deer from roadways. CMA has
the aroma of vinegar, which does not appeal to animals.
--
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of the
> country?
> The regular salt for melting ice washes off when the ice melts and