During the winter, ice is a common problem. And a lot of people automatically reach for salt to melt the ice after it forms. But when you use salt to melt the ice on your sidewalk and driveway, it can damage or even kill your plants and grass. We offer commercial snow removal in Albertville, but we are also a landscaping company too. When we come to your commercial building to remove snow and ice, we use deicer that is safe for your plants and grass. So here are a few tips on what to do if your plants or grass were damaged by salt that you or someone else used to melt ice this past winter. Plus, we also have some suggestions on what to use to melt ice instead of salt.

When you use salt to deice, the excessive sodium from the salt can destroy the structure of your soil, raise the pH and reduce the amount of water infiltration and soil aeration. As a result, the soil will become more compact, and there will be more soil erosion and water runoff – all bad news for your plants and grass. Salt used for deicing also damages mycorrhizal fungi, which are small pieces of beneficial fungi that help plants with their nutrient intake.

So how can you tell that your plants and grass have been damaged by salt? There are a few signs. When the spring rolls around and growing season begins, you might see branch die-back, needles and leaves that are brown instead of green, your flowers, trees and shrubs will not flower. There will be signs of stunted plant growth, plus early defoliation and yellow leaves.

A commercial snow removal company like ours knows that using salt can cause damage to plants and grass. So when you hire our commercial snow removal company, we will use another type of deicer, like kitty litter or sand, to melt away the ice. These two materials are just as effective as salt, but they will not cause harm to your plants and grass.

You can also use a few other deicers: magnesium chloride and calcium magnesium acetate (also known as CMA) are some good options. These two are safe for plants and pets, and magnesium chloride works very well at colder temperatures. While these can still damage plants and grass, that happens only when you use too much. If you want to avoid this problem, mix the deicer with sand and then apply.

Are you interested in learning more about our commercial snow removal service in Albertville? Call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or you can contact us to get a Free Estimate on our services.