The recent taste of winter weather reminds us how nasty ‘Ol Man Winter can be. With snow plows in our area ready to roll — prepared to spread sand and salt– homeowners, turn to various de-icing materials to deal with ice and snow.

Unfortunately, these materials can be quite damaging to trees, shrubs, and other landscape plants. Already stressed from a dry summer and unseasonably warm fall, salt spray may be just another blow in a long line of killing punches. Here are some tips to help you counter ice and snow this winter.

There are five main materials that are used as chemical de-icers: calcium chloride, sodium chloride (table salt), potassium chloride, urea and calcium magnesium acetate.

Calcium chloride is the traditional ice-melting product used on roads and bridges. Though it will melt ice at about 25 degrees, calcium chloride will form a slippery, slimy layer on concrete and other hard surfaces. Plants are not likely to be harmed unless excessive amounts are used. Sodium chloride (rock salt) and potassium chloride are the least expensive materials available. They are effective to 12 degrees but can damage soils, plants, metal and concrete. Both can cause serious plant injury when splashed on foliage or spread on the ground around plant roots. Urea (carbonyl diamide) is fertilizer that is sometimes used to melt ice.

Though it is only about 10 percent as corrosive as sodium chloride, it can contaminate ground and surface water with nitrates. Urea is effective to about 21 degrees. Calcium magnesium acetate, a newer product, is made from dolomitic limestone and acetic acid (the principal compound of vinegar). Calcium magnesium works differently than the other materials in that it does not form a brine-like salt but rather helps prevent snow particles from sticking to each other or to the road surface. It has little effect on plant growth or concrete surfaces. Performance, however, decreases below 20 degrees.

Salt damages plants by pulling water away from the root system. Likewise, the sodium ions then travel throughout the plant and collect at toxic levels in leaves and stems. Symptoms of salt damage include stunted yellow foliage with brown edges, a blue-green over all cast to the plant, or permanent wilting, even when the soil is moist.

Unfortunately, little can be done to cure the damage caused by salt buildup in the soil. In this instance, prevention is the best medicine. Avoid piling salt contaminated snow around trees, shrubs and flowers. Try using sand, kitty litter, or cinders for traction.

If salt contamination has occurred, flushing the area with large amounts of water this spring is the only remedy. As a general rule, 6 inches of water will leach out about one-half the salt. Twelve inches will leach out about four-fifths of the salt. And 24 inches of water will leach out about nine-tenths of the contaminant.