How To Fix/Repair Rock Salt Burned Yellow Lawn!?

[MICHELLE H.]

Hello All,

This question I am asking is not a problem that I have, but a problem that I am trying to help someone with. I have an eldery 85 year old neighbor, that I am trying to help out.

Here is the problem. Last year he says he spent $4,000 to have all brand new "Kentucky Bluegrass" sod installed on his front yard.

In the winter, the neighbors next to him dumped piles of rock salt/ice melter all over their driveway everytime there was a snowstorm, and when they shoveled their driveway, and threw the snow up onto the edge of his yard, all the rock salt landed on his grass, and now he has BIG Yellow patches of grass, all on the side of his yard.

I feel really bad for the eldery gentleman, who lives alone, and never has anyone to come over to help him out, and I want to try to help him fix it. HE doesn't think that it can be fixed, because the rock saLt/ice melt is now mixed in with the soil.

What about adding some topsoil as a "topdressing", and then new seed? I have a bag of "Organic Topsoil", I could give him?

Would that "Scotts Patchmaster" stuff work? Or that new "Scotts EZ Seed" I keep seeing commercials for?

I also have a bag of "Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss". Should I try spreading some "Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss" on it for him??

What would be the best way to neutralize the soil of all the rock salt, and revive the lawn, to turn the Yellow spots Green again?

ANY info. will greatly be appreciated!

Thanks!

[brooklyn1]

The neighbor who polluted the lawn needs to pay to remediate the soil and reestablish the lawn, if not sue.

[MICHELLE H.]

The problem with that is, the homeowners that threw the rock salt on the guys lawn, are long gone, because their house was foreclosed on a few months back, and put up for public auction, so right now the house is currently vacant, and who knows where the other neighbors moved to??

Plus, I don't think the guy would want to sue them. He is 85 years old, and keeps to himself. He never has anyone come over to visit him or help him, so I usually ask him if he wants help mowing his grass or raking his leaves or shoveling his snow, but he always refuses and wants to do it himself.

But when I talked to him yesterday, when I was wishing him a "Nice Memorial Day", he says that he doesn't know what to do or how to fix the "rock salt burnt grass".

I think that "Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss" may help neaturalize the soil, but I am not 100% positive about that??

[Bill who putters]

This URL sort of suggests watering a lot and gypsum to dilute the salt.

"The best thing to do if you are facing this situation is to pass large quantities of water through the soil, trying to leach the mineral salts out of the root zone. This can be enhanced by the application of powdered gypsum. Gypsum binds with salt ions and helps to carry them through the soil. Apply at least 10 pounds per 100 square feet, and water, water, water. If the water starts to run off, stop and let it soak in for a while. Then repeat for as long of an interval as possible without run-off. Cycle through many times and hope for the best. To avoid some of this danger, and fertilize more effectively, read this article"

[Frank]

Like Bill who putters says, salt needs to be washed out. I've spilled fertilizer and once it took a couple of years before grass fully came back.

I also suspect neighbors used rock salt or sodium chloride rather than calcium chloride:

bad snows and stores run out of recommended snow melters and sell regular salt which is hard on concrete and plants. Your friend should at least tell the neighbors to be more careful in the future.

[brooklyn1]

If that 85 year old could afford a sod lawn he can afford to have a landscaper repair it. Me, I'd rip up all the sod and turn it to compost or maybe someone who wants it will take it away... then I'd put down grass seed. A seeded lawn is always prefered except by those who are too impatient and/or have more dollars than brain cells. Sod lawns are instant but never actually root into the soil, sod lawns are extremely susceptable to damage from all conditions that harm lawns and sod is never recoverable, it's dead, remove it.

[Phisherman]

...

The soil is contaminated. You got two (maybe three) choices...

1. Wait until the salt leaches out. This may take some time depending on your rainfall, but cost you nothing.
2. Replace the top soil. This is much more involved. You can hire a landscaping company to do much of the grunt work. I would show the neighbor the bill and tell him if it happens again, he pays. Suggest using a nitrogen salt (fertilizer) or ashes for traction instead of the rock salt.
3. Consider groundcovers that can tolerate salt.

[David E. Ross]

No topping will help. Try broadcasting a generous amount of gypsum over the affected areas and rinsing it into the soil.