Spring Arrives In Pittsburgh: 5 Important Things To Know Before Choosing Grass-Safe Ice Melt
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – One more chilly night ahead tonight, with lows again in the lower 20s.
FIRST ALERT: None.
AWARE: Rain chances return starting Wednesday.
Sunday’s high temperatures are struggling to reach the freezing mark which is well below normal highs near 50. Normal lows to the end of winter and the start of spring are right around 31 degrees.
Friday and Saturday are shaping up to be possibly soggy, but at least the warm air will stay in place for our first spring weekend of 2023.
Source: CBS PITTSBURGH
In this article, we’ll cover important factors to consider before buying a Grass-Safe Ice Melt.
5 Key Factors To Consider When Selecting A Grass-Safe Ice Melt For Your Home
1. Composition
One of the most significant contributing factors to an ice melt is the composition of salts and chlorides. Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride are considered safe to use compared to only rock salt or sodium chloride. However, you have to be judicious in the way you apply it as overuse will damage your vegetation and your concrete.
2. Impact on grass
Ice melt is not safe for plant life in general. However, if you use it regularly, you can ensure you use fertilizer for ice melt that will not let snow stick to the soil. Then, before the first snow settles in, fertilize the soil to give your lawn essential nutrients to feed the plant roots through winter. Safe paw deicer gives you just this and much more.
3. Turf Damage
While concentrating on our grass or landscape, we forget that the ice melt will have an equal impact on your turf as well. Leaving the ice melt for too long, ignoring to clear it after the ice melts, or overuse of products will damage turf. So even while we choose an ice melt that is grass safe, we have to ensure that your turf and concrete remain safe.
4. Prompt removal
If you are using a deicer regularly, it is advisable to be quick on your feet to remove the ice melt that is accidentally or consciously applied over the lawn or grass. The quicker you remove it, the better it is for the grass as the composition does not seep inside.
5. Overall Effectiveness
While grass safety is important, don’t forget to consider the ice melt’s overall effectiveness in melting ice and keeping your property safe.
Understanding The Risks Associated With Other Ice Melt Products Available In Market
Ice melt contains a blend of sodium chloride and other salts such as potassium, calcium, or magnesium in disparate quantities. Each of these individual chlorides has a significant impact on the grass and vegetation. Some leave a residue, others lock the moisture in the soil, while a few do not allow any air or sunlight to penetrate the leaves and roots. If you observe these changes, it is easy to understand that the ice melt kills grass and other plant life.
Once ice melt products to melt, they create a slush or brine along the concrete pathway, and we recklessly brush it onto the nearest open area- the grass or the lawn. The excessive salt content impacts the soil’s health and does not allow any nutrients to pass to the roots of the grass. Thus, it results in killing or destroying the grass.
Since we have already brushed off excess ice melt onto the grass, you can see a layer of whitishness appear all around. Similarly, ice melt for brick pavers is not a safe option either as it starts eroding the bricks, making it a costly replacement investment. If your grass has a layer of chloride and salt on it, it will also affect plants’ regrowth. You will need to work on the soil and turn it upside down, let it breathe, and then replant the grass to make your garden complete again.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a reliable product to ease your concerns about whether ice melt will harm your grass, look no further than Safe Paw Ice Melter. With this top-rated grass-safe ice melt, you can keep your home and surroundings safe from the damaging effects of ice and snow on concrete and grass.