Experts Urge Alternatives to Rock Salt to Protect Pets and Plants
Experts warn rock salt harms plants and pets and recommend colder-weather alternatives like calcium chloride and beet-juice blends.
Overview
Martin Tirado, CEO of the Snow and Ice Management Association, said rock salt (sodium chloride) becomes ineffective at about 15°F and experts recommend calcium chloride or magnesium chloride for colder conditions.
Chloride-based deicers can pollute fresh water, damage shrubs, trees and grass, and accelerate concrete decay, Pamela Bennett, horticulture professor at Ohio State, said.
Manufacturers and suppliers now offer blends, coatings and beet-juice–coated granules to reduce corrosion and improve cold-weather performance, and Star's Tech is testing starfish-derived slow-release material, industry sources said.
Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride can cost at least twice as much as rock salt, while calcium manganese acetate is biodegradable but can reduce dissolved oxygen in water, experts said.
Experts advise shoveling multiple times for 3 to 4 inches of snow, monitoring forecasts, and applying deicers sparingly to limit plant and pet harm, David Orr, director of the Local Roads Program at Cornell, said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this as practical consumer guidance without partisan framing, relying on diverse experts (trade group CEO, horticulture professor, veterinary scientist, local roads director) and showing trade‑offs—effectiveness, cost, environmental and pet safety—while attributing claims to sources rather than asserting evaluative conclusions.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride are recommended as they remain effective down to -25°F, unlike rock salt which stops at about 15°F.
History
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