Protect Your Turf from Winter Salt

When it comes to lawn care this time of year, remember that it’s plain and simple—salt kills grass!  But with wintry weather heading your way, you’ll soon need to salt your slippery driveway and walkways.  And no matter how carefully you apply the salt to your concrete or asphalt, it’s highly likely that some of it will spill onto your tender turf.

So what do you do?  Now's the time to protect your turf by liberally sprinkling gypsum in a 5-foot-wide band all over any grass that’s within spittin’ distance of where you’ll be using salt. Then, overspray the gypsum with this simple solution:

·        1 cup of dishwashing liquid

·        1/2 cup of ammonia

·        1/2 cup of beer

Combine all of the ingredients in your 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, and apply to the point of run-off. Your turf will then be in great shape to survive the winter.

And while you’re thinking about slippery surfaces, why not try some terrific natural alternatives to melting the ice? Clean cat litter and sand both provide traction on slippery surfaces, and they’re cheap, effective, and lawn-friendly. There’s also a whole slew of new ice melters that are salt-free, and some of 'em even contain fertilizers that'll feed your lawn as they wash away the ice!

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