| Did you know excessive salt can cause | | | | other abrasives such as sand, cinders and ash.o |
| widespread damage to your trees, possibly leading | | | | Use alternative road salts such as urea, calcium |
| to permanent tree damage and even tree death? | | | | chloride and calcium magnesium acetate.o |
| Each winter, millions of tons of road salt are | | | | Improve drainage of soils. Add organic matter |
| applied to Oakland, Genesee, Macomb, Lapeer and | | | | such as activated charcoal or gypsum, this will |
| St. Clair County roads to keep them safe for | | | | help to leach salt residues from the soil.o Erect |
| vehicles to travel. Deicing salt is also spread near | | | | barriers between pavement and trees. Ex. salt |
| houses to avoid pedestrian injuries. Unfortunately, | | | | resistant trees, burlap wrapping and temporary |
| salt damage to trees may not be visible until the | | | | fencing.o Plant trees in locations away from any |
| end of summer, leaving homeowners wondering | | | | type of salt spray.o Plant salt-resistant trees in |
| what might have caused the problem. In some | | | | areas where high salt spray is inevitable Ex. Blue |
| cases, tree decline might not be visible for years. | | | | Spruce, Red Cedar, Juniper.o Provide adequate |
| Salt runoff washes from pavement into the | | | | irrigation and mulching to reduce water loss.o |
| ground, increasing salt levels in the soil. Salt | | | | Prune properly and add fertilizers to correct |
| deposits then travel through the roots, to plant | | | | nutrient deficiency.o Control tree diseases and |
| stems and buds causing the tree to have | | | | pest infestations. |
| disfigured foliage, stunted growth and severe | | | | Homeowners in Oakland, Genesee, Macomb, |
| decline in overall tree health. Also, salt spray on | | | | Lapeer and St. Clair County who are looking for |
| evergreens can sometimes cause the needles to | | | | someone to assess their landscape and make |
| turn brown, especially on the side of the plant | | | | recommendations should consult a professional |
| facing the road. | | | | arborist. For your safety and liability, make sure |
| Here are a few suggested steps you can take to | | | | that the company you choose to help with your |
| ward off tree damage from deicing salts and road | | | | road salt spray protection is licensed, trained, |
| salt spray.o Avoid using excessive road salt. | | | | certified, and insured. |
| Instead, lessen the use of salt by mixing with | | | | |