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Is Winter Killing Your Roadside & Driveway Grass &
Plants?
How to avoid "salt kill" as told
in a news release from the Maine State Highway Commission
 Research
Project Finds Gypsum Neutralizes Effects of Road Salt
A two-year research project financed by the State Highway
Commission and carried out by Dr. Frederick Hutchinson, Chairman
of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of
Maine, finds that SOF'N-SOILŪ Lawn & Garden Gypsum
when applied to roadsides subject to winter road salt, effectively
reduces the sodium level of the soil.
The study was aimed at the sodium in the road salt because
sodium ions tend to become trapped in soils, are toxic to
plants in high concentrations and cause "cementing"
of the soil. Chloride ions, on the other hand, quickly disperse
in water and are carried away with no significant build-up.
The research was carried out on three plots of ground adjacent
to highways in the state. The gypsum was applied in different
amounts to a maximum amount of 14 tons per acre. Soil samples
were taken for analysis before and after treatment; samples
were taken from untreated plots of ground as well.
In each instance, reports Dr. Hutchinson, there was a significant
reduction in the sodium level during the period of the test
where gypsum was applied.
Gypsum, a traditional soil amendment, remains in place because
of its low solubility; therefore its effect should be long-lasting.
Limestone also was analyzed during the test, but was found
to have no significant effect on the sodium level of the soil.
SOF'N-SOILŪ
LAWN & GARDEN GYPSUM:
- Counteracts
salt damage
- Loosens
tight soil
- Promotes
deep root growth
- Adds
vital calcium and sulfur
- Breaks
up clay soils
- Low-cost
natural conditioner
- Is
ecologically safe
For
additional information, contact the Industrial Products Division
of United States Gypsum Company at P.O. Box 806278, Chicago,
IL 60680-4124, call (800) 487-4431 or visit the division's
Web site at www.gypsumsolutions.com.
The Industrial Products Division of United States Gypsum Company
is a leading producer and marketer of a wide range of industrial
products used in manufacturing, tooling, plastics, coatings,
construction, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, food processing,
statuary, ceramics, road repair and other applications.
United States Gypsum Company is a subsidiary of USG Corporation,
a Fortune 500 company with business units that are market
leaders in their key product groups: gypsum wallboard, joint
compound and related gypsum products; cement board; gypsum
fiber panels; ceiling panels and grid; and building products
distribution. This article originally released in 1992.
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