Icey Sidewalks and Salty Solutions

– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension

There are alternatives to salt for melting ice.

With winter comes ice, with ice comes salt, with salt comes salty soils and stressed plants in the spring. Did you know that there are many product options available for melting ice besides salt? Today we’ll look at the benefits and disadvantages of those options.

Salt is a great tool for treating slippery roads and sidewalks. It consistently works when applied appropriately. However, high levels of salt can leach into soils and inhibit plant growth when spring comes again. Plants damaged by salt accumulation will appear dehydrated. Salt in the soil draws water out of the plant cells and leads to quicker and more intense dehydration. Plants will often display chlorosis (leaf-yellowing), stunted growth, damage to uniform plant species that progressively change from bad to good as you move away from high traffic areas. Homeowners often associate the damage with Continue reading Icey Sidewalks and Salty Solutions

The Winter 2024 Master Gardener Newsletter is here!

Decorating the house with fresh greenery is one of the oldest winter holiday traditions.

In this edition:

  • Decorating safely with fresh greens indoors
  • Connie’s Corner A message from our MG Coordinator
  • Perennial plant of the year
  • Fairfield County MGs recognized
  • Learning Never Ends gardeners win blue ribbons at fair
  • Winter virtual book clubs
  • One MG’s Christmas traditions
  • Gardener’s gift idea
  • Holiday recipes
  • Waxed amaryllis bulbs
  • Holiday leftover safety
  • Autumn mysteries revealed
  • Importance of watering the landscape
  • Winter mulching
  • Fall cleaning of gardening tools
  • Putting the garden to bed for winter
  • How the tomato became a vegetable
  • Agriculture technology featuring Trevor Bowie
  • A review of the MGV State conference
  • See what’s happening in and around the garden

Find the entire newsletter linked here in a PDF printable format.