The old-fashioned way of coping with snow and ice – removing what you can, then adding an abrasive such as sand or gravel – remains the most environmentally friendly method available. Deicing chemicals are options, but we need to temper their use.

Deicing chemicals remove some of the work related to snow and ice removal and provide some safety on our roads and streets. They also can be detrimental to vegetation, and, if overused, an environmental threat.

If applied sparingly, and only when needed, minimal harm will be done. Excessive use can lead to an accumulation of the active ingredients. This chemical buildup impedes the uptake of nutrients plants need for healthy growth and may not be noticed until late May or early June of next year. By then we have forgotten the possible cause of our plant problems.

Deicers work by lowering the freezing point of water. They are most effective if applied, even sparingly, before the ice has formed and least effective, if at all, when spread over accumulated snow. Deicing salts increase the freeze thaw cycles. They may not cause cracks in concrete, but it will make the existing ones worse.

There are five major ingredients used in chemical deicers. These will be offered individually or as a mixture. Some are more suited to a certain temperature, and some are less harmful to vegetation.

¢ Sodium chloride (rock salt) is the original deicer. It is the cheapest but damages not only plants but concrete and metal as well. It is effective down to 12 degrees.

¢ Calcium chloride is rarely harmful to plants but produces a slimy surface on concrete and other hard surfaces. It is effective down to minus 25 degrees.

¢ Potassium chloride damages not only plant roots but the foliage from splash or overspray. It is effective down to 15 degrees.

¢ Carbonyl diamide (urea) is a high-nitrogen fertilizer that can contaminate the ground and runoff water with high levels of nitrates. It is effective down to 21 degrees.

¢ Calcium magnesium acetate is a newer product combining acetic acid and dolomitic limestone. It is made to prevent snow from sticking to itself and the treated surface, and it has little effect on plants. It is effective down to 20 degrees.

I was not able to find the CMA; however, the four others are available locally ranging in price from 12 cents to 35 cents per pound. Three pounds easily will treat a normal driveway and the sidewalk, so cost is not a deciding factor. The city uses a combination of rock salt and sand because of cost, availability and the amount they have to cover. Internet research indicates the emergence of some liquid sprays with magnesium chloride and agriculture byproducts. I did not find any of these locally.

If the splash or chemical-laden piles cannot be avoided, as on a major thoroughfare, plant choices may help. Salt-tolerant choices include ponderosa and mugo pines, blue spruce, white ash, honey locust, Norway maple, sumac, willow, black locusts, red, white and bur oaks. Tall fescue and perennial ryegrasses are good turfgrass choices where salt may build up. Using as little as possible of any chemical is always advisable.

– Stan Ring is the horticulture program assistant at K-State Research and ExtensionDouglas County. He can be reached at 843-7058 or Sring1@oznet.ksu.edu.