If your lawn has suffered from salt damage, you’re not alone. Learning how to repair salt damage on your lawn involves watering the salt out of the soil, raking the damaged grass, applying gypsum, watering again, applying topdressing, and reseeding – all to restore your grass’ health and vitality.
What salt does to your lawn
Whether it comes from de-icing agents, salt-heavy fertilizers, or reclaimed water, salt can have unexpectedly negative effects on your lawn.
It can block nutrient absorption and lead to bare spots, thinning grass, and a dull brown, limp appearance. Over time, it can also make the soil more compact, affecting its pH and weakening your lawn’s defenses against pests, diseases, and weeds.
Protecting your lawn from salt damage is super important. But if it’s already struggling with salt damage, here’s what you can do:
6 steps to fix salt damage to grass
1. Water the lawn to flush salt
Removing as much salt from the soil is the first step in repairing salt damage. Water deeply with clean water to leach (wash) them downward, past the root zone. That way, the roots can access water freely again and rehydrate the grass. Use a garden hose with a shower head-like nozzle to evenly distribute the water without high pressure.
The amount of water depends on your soil type and its salinity levels, which a soil test will tell you. For example, sandy soils drain well, while clay soils take longer to absorb and release water.
“A rule of thumb for leaching salts is to apply 6 inches of water to reduce salinity levels by 50%, 12 inches to reduce salinity levels by 80%, and 24 inches to reduce salinity levels by 90%,” recommends experts at Utah State University.
Apply the water over several days, dividing it into 2- or 3-inch increments to prevent oversaturation and pooling.
My tip: Your local Extension office is a great resource. If you’re still unsure how to proceed, they can recommend the correct watering amounts.
2. Apply gypsum
Step two is adding a soil amendment like calcium-rich gypsum. The calcium particles dislodge sodium ions from around the roots and help push them below the root zone. They also loosen the soil, improving aeration and overall water movement.
Apply gypsum evenly across the damaged areas of your lawn, following the package directions. You can use a broadcast, drop, or handheld spreader, or a garden rake if your product is in powder form. A good amount to apply is 20 to 40 pounds per 100 square feet.
Gypsum starts working immediately, but the full effect can take several months, depending on your soil type, sodium levels, and how much it rains or you irrigate. Remember that while it helps improve the soil, gypsum isn’t a fertilizer and doesn’t add nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
3. Water the lawn again
Immediately after your gypsum application, give your lawn 1 to 2 inches of water to activate and dissolve the gypsum. Continue to water your lawn deeply one to two times per week for three or four weeks (depending on rainfall). With each session, you should provide at least 1 inch of water to push sodium deeper into the soil and away from the grassroots.
Consider the type of soil you have for your lawn’s watering needs. For example:
- Sandy soils drain water quickly, allowing it to reach the roots faster.
- Clay soils are densely packed, slowing down drainage and leading to water pooling on the surface.
- Loamy soils respond very well to gypsum. They’re a balanced mix of clay, sand, and silt that allows good drainage and water retention.
4. Rake the damaged or dead grass
Raking removes damaged or dead grass and exposes the soil, allowing the lawn to breathe and slowly recover.
As you rake with a dethatching or leaf rake, use gentle strokes to avoid pulling up healthy grass or damaging roots. Focus on brown patches and matted grass, removing all loosened particles and debris.
My tip: Always bag and dispose of dead/salt-damaged grass. Removing it allows you to spread new grass seed and ensure optimal contact with the soil.
5. Apply topdressing (organic matter)
Now it’s time to focus on your soil’s recovery. Cynthia Nazario-Leary, Ph.D., Environmental Horticultural Agent and Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator, says adding organic matter is a great way to improve its structure. Mulch keeps the soil moist and helps flush salts out of the root area.
“Well-developed soil structures allow for improved water infiltration and movement,” she says. They also stimulate microbial activity and boost fertility, all of which help your grass recover faster.
Some excellent options for topdressing are high-quality compost or animal manure. Apply it in a thin layer between ¼ to ½ inch over the lawn using a shovel or rake. The soil should be able to breathe, and the grass should be able to grow through the organic matter as it recovers.
As you spread the topdressing, push it lightly into the soil to improve contact. Always water it in to help it settle and activate beneficial microorganisms. Refer to your regular watering schedule and treat it as one of your sessions.
6. Reseed
If your existing lawn is struggling to recover, you may have to overseed or resod with your current grass type or with a more salt-tolerant grass variety suitable for your area. These grasses can thrive in soils with higher salt concentrations and help maintain a green, healthy lawn.
Common salt-tolerant grasses to consider:
- Seashore paspalum (Considered the most salt-tolerant warm-season grass type. Horticulture Agent Nazario-Leary says it’s helpful in areas exposed to salt spray or brackish water.)
- Bermudagrass
- St. Augustinegrass
- Buffalograss
- Zoysiagrass
- Tall fescue
- Slender creeping red fescue
- Perennial ryegrass
FAQ about fixing salt damage to grass
Where I live, we regularly get heavy snow and snowstorms, so de-icing is inevitable. Here’s what I learned over the years:
●If you notice the beginnings of salt damage on the lawn, you can single those areas out for extra irrigation to leach out the salt and prevent further damage. The same goes for aerating those areas to increase airflow and moisture uptake.
●It’s a good idea to soil test your lawn once a year to monitor salinity levels – especially if you live in a cooler area with a lot of snow.
●Instead of using road salt to clear your driveway, try sand or gravel. They work just as well to keep you safe during icy conditions and are less damaging to the grass.
●Add a thin layer of mulch to protect the grass close to your driveway, walkway, or nearby road. You can also install landscape fabric.
●Shrubs or hedges can act as a buffer and protect your lawn from salt exposure from the nearby road or sidewalk.
As the use of road salt has steadily increased over the years, so has its effect on the environment.
“Though seemingly harmless to us, rock salt can have corrosive effects in large quantities that affect cars, trucks, bridges, and roads resulting in approximately $5 billion in annual repairs in the U.S. alone,” says the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
More than that, salt can infiltrate drinking water reservoirs and water bodies, kill roadside plants, and harm wildlife that ingest it, taking an extremely high toll on the environment.
In areas where grass struggles or dies due to salt damage, you may see a sudden growth of weeds like:
●Quackgrass
●Foxtail barley
●Russian thistle
●Canada thistle
●Common lambsquarters
These salt-tolerant weeds will outcompete your stressed grass for resources and dominate affected areas, further damaging your lawn.
Maintain a healthy lawn without the fuss
Handling salt damage on your lawn usually involves flushing the salts out of the soil, raking, amending the soil, and possibly reseeding.
If this all sounds a bit much, Lawn Love can connect you with a local lawn care professional who can restore your lawn to health and help keep it that way.
Sources
- Oklahoma State University Extension Experts
- Cynthia S. Nazario-Leary, UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator – email interview
- University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach – Gypsum: an old product with a new use
- EPA – Winter is Coming! And with it, tons of salt on our roads
- Purdue University Landscape Report – Alleviating Landscape Soils with High Salt Concentrations
Main Photo Credit: DimaBerlin | Adobe Stock Free | License
