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!

[MICHELLE H.]

Thanks for all of the great advice so far. I will tell the guy to give his lawn ( especially the Yellow spots ) plenty of water.

To try to answer some of your questions, the Yellow sports are located about 2-3 feet inward from his neighbors driveway who piled the snow and rock salt on his yard, so yes, the Yellow spots are about 2 feet across his property line.

As far as him SUEING his neighbors? 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??

[Jill R]

When damage has occurred, flood the area with water as soon as practical in the spring to wash the salt or other material off of the grass and leach it through the soil away from the grass root area. After two or three heavy waterings, plant seed and apply Starter Fertilizer to hasten development of the planting. Scotts EZ Seed is aslo a good option, then you would not need the starter fertilizer seperatly as it is in the mix. Unless the concentration is unusually heavy, this procedure will correct the condition and replacement of the soil should not be necessary.

[Jim]

[....]

this is going to be an on going situation unless some means can be devised to stop the run off from the neighbors next to him dumped piles of rock salt in order to de-ice their driveway NEXT winter.

[pakrat]

["Followup-To:" header set to misc.rural.]

He should re-sod with astroturf.

[Larry Caldwell]

Just send the neighbor the bill for landscape repair. They will switch to sand real fast.