How To Fix/Repair Rock Salt Burned Yellow Lawn!? ( ALL )
 

MICHELLE H. wrote:
....

I think that "Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss" may help neaturalize the
soil, but I am not 100% positive about that??

No, won't do a thing for salt.

All that is possible to do other than removing the contaminated soil and
replacing it w/ other is to water those areas _heavily_ to dilute it.
If it hasn't actually killed the grass entirely, it's not too bad so a
couple of years and it'll probably be pretty much gone.

Whatever you tell him, _don't_ suggest adding N-rich fertilizer that
will only demand more water to keep from burning it up during hot weather...

Once it's there, it's there, and there's not a chemical treatment I'm
aware of that will be beneficial other than, as noted, dilution.

I've seen claims that the products for dog spots will help; I'm not
convinced but guess it probably wouldn't hurt anything, basically
they're diluents anyway. The yellowing in those spots is basically from
high N concentration rather than salt, but then again, on thinking as
writing this, those are ureic salts so, just maybe...

Another I've heard that I don't have (and couldn't find any factual info
to back it up) is a sugar solution. Certainly sugar has been shown to
be beneficial in poor soils as a fertilization aid; again I don't see
any reason that it would help other than dilution and a ready food
source that isn't N-based for excess salinity. Have to ask the County
Agent if he knows anything about that one next time I see him.

All in all, water and more water and time...

Oh, and there's no point in trying to reseed until the salt
concentration is reduced -- if adult grass is being affected, certainly
seed germination will be impaired and seedling survival will be poor at
best. The bluegrasses and particularly KY blue are especially
susceptible to salt, btw...

Not much help on cure, but some useful reading...

http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene753b.html

Oh, there are anerobic bacteria that are halophiles that attach to salt
and have been studied for use in areas that have high salinity or
irrigate w/ water w/ high salt content. That's a big-time solution to a
small problem for just treating some lawn spots...

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How To Fix/Repair Rock Salt Burned Yellow Lawn!? ( ALL )
 

On Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:37:18 -0500, dpb wrote:

All in all, water and more water and time...

Correct. Salt will leach faster from sandy soils than clay soils.

If it were me, I would attach a portable sprinkler on a garden hose
and water profusely at low speed.

OP! Nice of you to help your neighbor. I would not spend money for
peat moss -- water the spots for now and then think about it ;)

How To Fix/Repair Rock Salt Burned Yellow Lawn!? ( dpb )
 

"dpb" wrote:

"The bluegrasses and particularly KY blue are especially susceptible to
salt, btw...".

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Well, I guess that answers why he has big spots of bright Yellow grass
all on the side of his yard now. Because when I asked the eldery guy
what type of grass it was, he said that it was KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS!!!!!


He said that "when the snow melted, there was PILES of rock salt piled
up on his lawn", thats how much rock salt his previous neighbors threw
down in their driveway.


The must have knew that their house was in foreclosure, and they were
getting kicked out, so they probably said "who gives a damn!", and just
dumped out entire bags of salt everywhere!?

How To Fix/Repair Rock Salt Burned Yellow Lawn!? ( dpb )
 

MICHELLE H. wrote:
....

The must have knew that their house was in foreclosure, and they were
getting kicked out, so they probably said "who gives a damn!", and just
dumped out entire bags of salt everywhere!?


If it had been that much it wouldn't just be yellow it'd be dead and
brown. Sounds like they just pile the snow itself containing the salt
in large pile so it concentrated it.

It'll heal in time w/ enough water; depending on locale and water rates
it may be cheaper to have it resodded, removing a few inches of topsoil
in the affected area. If it's such a problem as to make it worth it,
that's the only immediate fix as somebody else noted also.

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