ISU Extension: Don’t Overdo Ice Melt — It Can Damage Your Lawn

Iowans clearing sidewalks and driveways in winter often face a tradeoff: use enough ice melt to prevent slips, but not so much that the runoff harms nearby grass and plants.

Aaron Steil, a consumer horticulture specialist with Iowa State University Extension, says salt damage is most common along the edges of sidewalks and driveways where meltwater collects.

“Excessive salt can be a problem, especially for those areas near sidewalks and driveways,” Steil says. “The best option is just to not overuse salt.”

Some ice-melting products can also be rough on concrete — particularly if it was poured recently. Steil says one way to cut back on salt while still improving safety is to mix it with sand.

“One of the things that we do here on the campus of Iowa State…is to mix salt with sand,” Steil says. “Doing that, you get some traction and you’re using less salt.”

You may not notice you’ve used too much until spring. Steil says heavy salt buildup in soil can pull moisture away from plant roots and leave grass thin, stressed, or dead.

“Salt can desiccate roots and those kinds of things,” he says, “and so it can cause some damage when it’s in excess.”

If damage shows up after winter, Steil says some plants may recover with deep watering in the spring to help flush salt from the soil.