THE LAND — JANUARY 21/JANUARY 28, 2022
www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
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Be aware of salt damage to trees and shrubs Salt is often used to melt ice from our treated road. Salt may also cause leaves sidewalks and driveways and is then to appear later than usual in the spring. flushed into adjacent lawns and flower Evergreens are particularly susceptible beds — causing damage. The salt enters to salt damage and their needles may be plant cells or the spaces between the cells brown instead of green starting at the and causes them to lose their cold harditips of the needles and progressing ness. Salt also desiccates the plant by through the summer months. Several drying out bud scales which exposes tenGREEN AND years of salt accumulation may result in der tissues underneath the scales and GROWING smaller leaves, flowers or fruit. The reduces potential blossoms in the spring. leaves appear burnt or brown starting at By Linda G. Tenneson The sodium in sodium chloride can the outer edges and progressing towards reduce the root’s ability to absorb potasthe middle. Leaves may turn color earlier in the fall sium, calcium and magnesium. and an entire tree may appear stunted. Some salt may be flushed away from plant roots, Snow fences or barriers such as burlap wrapping but this is likely to also remove these desired nutri- will help keep salt away from sensitive plants. ents. Fertilizer is then needed to replace these Planting a variety of salt-tolerant trees from differnutrients and mulch to prevent further moisture ent species reduces the possibility that a pathogen, loss. or insect that attacks one species, would be able to Coarse sand is an alternative to provide traction on ice. Calcium chloride and calcium magnesium acetate do less damage, but are more expensive to purchase. ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Salt may accumulate over several winters making Agriculture is asking produce farmers to fill out the the soil less habitable to plants. Trees may lose annual Grower Questionnaire which will help farmers their tolerance to salt as they mature. Plants growidentify the federal food safety requirements which ing next to high traffic streets are more likely to apply to their operations. Data from the questionnaire receive salt spray than those near residential also provides the MDA with a more accurate assessstreets. Salt spray trucks can send salt solution up ment of Minnesota’s produce farming sector. to 60 feet from the edge of a road. The side of the “The Grower Questionnaire is an important tool to tree or shrub nearest the street will have more help Minnesota’s produce farmers navigate the feddamage than the opposite side. eral produce safety requirements,” said Alexandra No tree is insensitive to salt damage; but while Cortes, MDA Produce Safety Program Outreach some can tolerate the spray, they cannot tolerate an Analyst. accumulation of salt in the soil. Trees which are The Grower Questionnaire should be filled out once covered with snow will have less salt damage. And branches growing above the height of the salt spray per year, per produce farm. Participation is voluntary. Farm contact and location information is classiwill not be damaged. fied as private and not made public. Produce growers Salt damage may not be noticeable until spring. who opt out of the questionnaire will be contacted by Tuft-like growths, sometimes called “witchesthe MDA Produce Safety Program to determine any brooms,” may appear on branches closest to a salt inspection requirements.
spread to different tree species as well as reducing losses from salt. White pines, roses, rhododendrons and yews are especially susceptible to salt damage. The web site “cues.cfans.umn.edu/old/ extpubs/1413salt/DD1413.html” from the University of Minnesota contains a list of trees evaluated into three categories of sensitive, intermediate or tolerant to salt spray and soil salt damage. The Soil Testing Laboratory, which is part of the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences, will test soil for salt content. Go to “soiltest.cfans.umn.edu” for details and submission forms. Publication SP610 from the Agricultural Extension Service of the University of Tennessee also has information on treating salt affected soil. Linda G. Tenneson is a University of Minnesota master gardener and tree care advisor. v
Farmers asked to complete questionnaire Data gleaned from previous questionnaires has found that 41 percent of Minnesota fruit and vegetable farmers are growing more than five crops – with some growing up to 80 fruit and vegetable crops in a season. Tomatoes and apples are the top crops grown by produce farmers. More than half the produce farms are under 10 acres in size The most current data is available in the 2020 Produce Safety Program Report. The 2022 MDA Grower Questionnaire is available online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/ProduceSafety. Farmers can contact the MDA Produce Safety Program at (651) 539-3648 or email producesafety. mda@state.mn.us to request a paper copy of the questionnaire, or for more information. This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. v
