Salt contaminated soil

[Boward]

Hi All,

I recently purchased a new home and have noticed a large area in my back yard that looked like death on roots. The grass was brown, a dozen or so smaller trees, one mature forsythia, a small rhododendron were all dead. A large Weeping Willow is on its last legs.

When I investigated the problem, it didn't take me long to realize what was causing it. The previous owner ran the drain tube for his water softener into a sump pit in the basement. He then channeled the discharge from the pit to the affected spot at the back of my lawn. Every time the softener cycled, it flushed a potent load of salt water onto the root systems killing everything.

I've already shut down the softener and will remediate the drainage right away directing the discharge to the house sewage system where it belongs. In the mean time I'm wondering what to do with my scorched earth.

- Is there a way I can test the soil salinity to determine the extent of my problem?

- Will rain water eventually wash the problem away? The roof gutters discharge to the same location so there's plenty of irrigation.

- Is there something I can plant in the damaged area that loves salt, and possibly even eats it up?

Thank you in advance for your answers.

-Tom B Audubon, PA

[Apu Inmypants]

careful if u have septic system. may overload it causing a different problem.

certain grasses grow at the beach with lots of salt water.

[Boward]

That's definitely a valid insight, Apu, but I'm on public sewage. I worry about my cast iron drain stack corroding from the salt, but I don't think it should cause a huge problem. Cast iron tends to coat up on the inside thereby protecting itself.

[Data]

Hi - from the UK. One of several shrubs that will tolerate salted soils is the Tamarisk (Tamarix pentendra) IIf you can get that over there, and it grows ok, then there are also a few different Euonymus varieties that will tolerate salt - Most of the Euonymus japonica varieties will do ok. Grasses were mentioned in an earlier post - For lawn-type grasses, the finer leaved fescues or agrostis will tolerate salt, and for the taller ornamental grasses, then the Miscanthus sinensis types will be ok as will a blue grass - Elymus hispida. Hope this helps a little. Regards Data

As for them eating the salt up - I doubt it.