Winter’s Silent Threat: How Salt Damage is Devastating Long Island Trees and What You Can Do About It
Every winter, Long Island homeowners face a harsh reality: the very substances that keep our roads safe are slowly killing our beloved trees and shrubs. From the ocean spray carried inland by fierce Atlantic storms to the road salt splashed by passing vehicles, salt damage has become one of the most pressing concerns for property owners across Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Understanding Salt Damage: A Double Threat
Concentrated sodium (Na), a component of salt, can damage plant tissue whether it contacts above or below ground parts. Salt damage occurs on plants when salt is deposited by spray from passing cars on stems and buds of deciduous woody plants and on stems, buds, leaves and needles of evergreen plants. Salt spray can cause salt burn on buds, leaves and small twigs.
On Long Island, trees face a unique double threat. Salt spray injury is particularly prevalent in trees near the ocean, but wind-borne salt can travel up to 1/2 a mile inland when blown by strong winds. During winter storms, along sidewalks and roads where de-icing products containing salt are used to melt ice and snow. As the ice and snow melt, runoff carries the salt to low-lying areas and into the soil. Vehicles also splash and spray salt melt into roadside areas as they travel.
Recognizing the Signs of Salt Damage
Salt damage often goes unnoticed until it’s too late. Many times, the damage is not evident until late winter or spring. Needle or leaf browning, bud death, and branch dieback on the side of the plant facing the road or sidewalk is a common sign of salt spray damage. Damage to deciduous plants is not seen until growth resumes in the spring.
Key warning signs include:
- Browning or yellowing leaf edges, particularly on the road-facing side
- Stunted growth and premature leaf drop
- Branch dieback starting from tips
- Salt damage is usually noticed one to two weeks after a major storm. The next sign is damage to a wide variety of plants
The Science Behind Salt’s Destructive Power
Sodium and chloride ions separate when salts are dissolved in water. The dissolved sodium and chloride ions, in high concentrations, can displace other mineral nutrients in the soil. Plants then absorb the chlorine and sodium instead of needed plant nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus, leading to deficiencies. The chloride ions can be transported to the leaves where they interfere with photosynthesis and chlorophyll production.
Unlike animals, plants do not have mechanisms to excrete excess salt from tissues and can only “shed” salt in dead leaves and needles. Because conifers do not shed leaves on a yearly basis, they tend to suffer damage from accumulated salt more easily than do deciduous trees.
Recovery Strategies That Work
The good news is that salt-damaged trees can recover with proper care. The answer is clear – these trees need to be fertilized to be able to replenish nutrients that have been depleted or prevented from reaching the higher branches of the tree. Deep root fertilization will get to the source of the problem and these trees will turn around in one season.
Essential recovery steps include:
- After temperatures warm and before spring growth begins, flush the soil with 6 inches of water, which will leach out approximately 50% of the soluble salts. This is a crucial step to correct saline soils
- The best way to help your salt-scorched trees is to remove the accumulated salt as soon as you can. If you’ve had a windstorm that’s blown salt spray onto your shrubs and trees, wash off the salt with a garden hose
- Gypsum displaces sodium ions with calcium ions, freeing the sodium from soil particles so it can be washed away. It also improves soil structure, leading to better drainage and aeration
Prevention: Your First Line of Defense
Preventing salt damage is always more effective than treating it. To protect plants adjacent to roads during the winter, erect burlap fencing or other barriers between the road and the plant. Strategically placed salt-tolerant trees can act as a barrier to protect less tolerant species from salt spray.
Professional arborists recommend:
- Installing physical barriers like burlap screens during winter months
- Selecting salt-tolerant species for areas near roads and coastlines
- Irrigate deeply and infrequently rather than lightly/ shallowly and frequently to promote deep, healthy plant systems that can resist salt damage or recover from it quickly
- Applying anti-desiccant sprays to evergreens before winter
Professional Help Makes the Difference
While homeowners can take preventive measures, recovering from severe salt damage often requires professional intervention. Most trees and shrubs will outgrow the damage within a year, but this recovery depends on proper care and treatment.
For Long Island residents dealing with salt-damaged trees, working with experienced professionals who understand the unique challenges of coastal and suburban environments is crucial. Expert tree care services can provide the specialized treatments needed to help your trees recover and thrive.
Jones Tree & Plant Care, serving Suffolk County and the entire east end of Long Island including the Hamptons and Montauk, understands these local challenges intimately. Jones Tree is owned and operated by Thomas Jones – New York State Board Certified Arborist, and member of the Long Island Arborist Association. As a licensed arborist, Jones is committed to providing scientifically based landscape management and delivering quality services. Jones Tree and Plant Care tailors specific programs based on the needs of each individual customer and property. A total tree and plant care approach will improve growth, condition and curb appeal of your property, all while using environmentally sensitive, affordable treatments.
The Road to Recovery
Salt damage doesn’t have to mean the end for your trees. With proper identification, timely intervention, and professional care, most salt-damaged trees can make a full recovery. However, regardless of the species, damaged trees and shrubs can be stressed from salt spray, making them more susceptible to disease and pest pressure while they’re recovering.
The key is acting quickly when damage is spotted and working with knowledgeable professionals who understand both the science of salt damage and the specific challenges facing Long Island’s unique coastal environment. Remember, Companies in Southampton have started pushing new trees for the spring because of the salt damage but Sterling Tree knows that it is very premature to be even thinking about replacing trees without a proper fertilization program that has proven to be effective time and time again.
Don’t let winter’s silent threat claim your trees. With the right knowledge, preparation, and professional support, your landscape can weather any storm and emerge healthier than ever.