Winter brings snow and ice and with them the need for deicing materials. Salt used for deicing affects plants in the landscape when it accumulates on stem tissue by airborne sprays and/or in soils because of runoff from treated areas. Soil buildup is especially a problem in landscape beds adjacent to sidewalks or curbs where snow accumulates through plowing and shoveling. Deicing salts damage plants through direct sodium chloride toxicity, dehydration due to osmotic stress, reduced cold hardiness due to salt buildup on buds and stems, and/or its influence on soil nutrients.
Salt injury usually expresses itself as terminal shoot dieback, bronze foliage on evergreens, bleaching of ground covers and turf, or total plant death in the case of ground covers and perennials. Successive years of dieback on woody trees and shrubs could result in a “witches’ broom” appearance on the outer branches. Given winter conditions, it is essential to deal with deicing in the landscape design phase. Deicing practices must be considered in plant selection and landscape bed design in close proximity to paved surfaces. If we are not fortunate to have an input on design and selection, we must intercept airborne salt through screening or apply more plant-friendly deicing materials such as calcium magnesium acetate.
Information and photo from a section of "Abiotic Plant Disorders - Symptoms, Signs and Solutions A Diagnostic Guide to Problem Solving" by Robert E. Schutzki and Bert Cregg, Departments of Horticulture and Forestry, Michigan State University Michigan State University. Go to http://www.ipm.msu.edu/cat08land/pdf/9-19abiotic.pdf for the full factsheet with photos.
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