Melting your sidewalks and driveways is something that has to be done when they get slick! Nobody wants to slip and fall on their way to the mailbox, or leaving the house for work! Ice melts are the number one answer to this problem. But did you know this could be hurting the growth of your lawn when the sun comes out?

Why Is Salt Bad and What To Use

Salts are bad for the grass as well as the soil. In minor use their will be little to no harm done. If you have lots of winter storms then this is where salt can become an issue. The chloride in the salt practically starves the plant and can be detrimental if used too much. A great alternative is sand. Using sand does practically the same thing just not as effectively. More sand will have to be put out but it does not do nearly as much damage. Just be sure to sweep after the bad weather is gone!

How To Fix The Area

When trying to assess the damage, look at the turf near the areas you applied the ice. When it warms up and grass starts growing, if these spots are still not green by the time everything else is, more attention will be needed. This is common during dry springs as well and it may just need a boost by Hand watering and aeration. If you are not seeing any progress then you may need to plant new seed. This is in extreme cases but it does happen. If it comes to this then simply get the old grass out, rake the spot and throw new seed down!