Over-application of ice melts can damage your spring yard
The season for using ice melts is winding down, and I have observed many cases of over applying them over the last month. Applying the right amount will reduce the negative impact on the environment.
Cost, environmental friendliness, weather patterns and the area where the ice melt is to be applied should play a role in which product you choose to use.
The Chicago Botanic Garden uses sand when conditions are slippery for roads and paths. In select areas, a calcium chloride product, which is effective to about minus 25 degrees, is used. Mixing some calcium chloride with sand can also work well.
The Garden also uses a product with calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) for a walk area with trees that had been damaged in previous years by using calcium chloride. The CMA will have less impact on the plants but is not as effective at cold temperatures. There are options, including blends of different chemicals, for you to use. The key thing is to follow directions on the label and not over apply the product.
Another option to consider is using an anti-icing pretreatment liquid product, which is applied when a storm is predicted to prevent ice from forming. These products can also be applied after the ice has formed but are less effective when used in this manner.
There are pet and environmentally friendly products available.
• Check garden beds to be sure plants have not heaved out of the ground due to freeze/thaw/freeze cycles typical in late February. Gently press the crowns of perennials back into the ground but avoid compacting the soil by stomping heavily around plants.
Applying a layer of mulch will help prevent additional frost heaving this spring.
• If you feed birds in your yard, it is a good idea to stop your dog (if you have one) from eating the fallen birdseed. The birdseed alone is probably not going to cause too many problems unless he eats so much that his intestines become impacted.
Should a dog develop a large amount of gas in the stomach from the seeds fermenting, it can cause the stomach to bloat, which can lead to a condition in which the stomach twists on itself. This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate emergency veterinary attention. Most dogs can pass small amounts of ingested bird seed.
Another area of concern is that your dog can eat bird droppings, which may contain salmonella bacteria along with the bird seed. Salmonella can cause severe digestive upset, with lots of vomiting and diarrhea that can be fatal in very young or old dogs. The salmonella bacteria can also be passed on to you.
• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.