Have you noticed the leaves of your trees, shrubs and/or houseplants turning brown at the tips?  Do you know what is likely causing this browning?

SALT!

Most of us know that too much salt in our diet isn’t good for us.  But did you know that plants can suffer from getting too much salt?

Salt damage shows up in plants as green leaves that start turning brown on the tips and then spread out to the edges of the leaf.

This is commonly called ‘salt burn’ since excess salt actually ‘burns’ the leaf.

So, how do plants get too much salt?

Well, both soil and water contain salts (so does fertilizer).  When plants are watered too shallowly, the salt from the water stays near the root zone, which concentrates the salt even more..  Roots do NOT like salty soil.

The extra salt is absorbed by the roots and is concentrated into the leaves.  When salt levels get too high, cell damage occurs, which turns the leaf brown.

**If you have houseplants, you have probably noticed brown tips from time to time, which is a sign of salt damage.**

So, how do you treat plants with salt damage?

The answer is easy – Water Deeply!

Deep watering helps to flush out the salts from the root zone.  For outdoor plants, this can be done by simply turning your hose onto a slow trickle and let it slowly water your plant until the soil is completely saturated.  This can take 1 – 3 hours depending on what type of soil you have.

Houseplants with salt damage can be helped by placing them in the sink under the faucet, which is turned onto a slow trickle.  Do this for at least an hour to help flush out the salt in the soil.  (You can also do this in the bathtub if you sink is not large enough).  Do this every month or so to help to prevent salt damage.

Avoiding salt damage is relatively easy.  Simply keep an eye out for brown tips and edges and deep water your plants periodically to help to prevent salt damage.

Tagged as: Container Gardening, Flower Gardening, Trees and Shrubs