Many contractors and homeowners use salt deicers to combat ice on roads and sidewalks. While salt stains are a common sight on cars and steps, many may not know that salt deicing products can also damage foliage on trees.

Sodium chloride, the scientific name for rock salt, is the most popular and generally least costly type of deicer. Unfortunately, as ice and snow treated with rock salt melts, the resulting runoff may cause harmful byproducts to seep into soil or splash onto leaves, causing wilting and other injuries to vegetation.

"It is impractical to avoid salting completely because safety on our roads and sidewalks is obviously an important issue," says Dr. Bruce Fraedrich, vice president of research at Bartlett Tree Expert. "However, there are ways to protect trees and shrubs." Fraedrich points to several causes and telltale signs of deicing problems, and offers solutions:

"A lot of trees are affected by airborne salt kicked up by traffic. It settles on leaves, desiccating the tree. Some trees absorb the sodium and others suffer from root damage, caused by salt seeping into the soil." Species most susceptible to this type of damage are evergreens, including conifers, pines, spruce and holly trees. Fraedrich says trees retaining foliage year round have the highest risk.
Professionals can identify damage by the wilting and dryness of leaves and other foliage, though symptoms are usually evident only after large masses of salt have accumulated. "Damage to the soil can be spotted by noticing significant drooping, especially at the top of a tree, because salt inhibits absorption of water by the root system. Salt damage produces similar symptoms as drought. When caused by airborne salt (from vehicles), it usually occurs on the lower part of the tree, facing the street," he says. Damaged trees also tend to have thinner leaves and often bloom later in the spring.
Other symptoms include stunted growth of foliage, browning of foliage, thinning of branch tips, premature fall coloration/defoliation and dead branches. Severe cases often lead to insect infestation.

"Damage is hard to prevent and winter weather complicates efforts to help trees, because there's no way to wash off salt," says Fraedrich. To counter the inevitability of salt damage, Fraedrich recommends planting trees tolerant to salt (such as birch, oak or juniper) near the road and driveway. Beyond that, he advises monitoring plants to ensure their overall health. "Keep trees well watered and use gypsum (calcium sulfate) to help counteract salt in the root system," he says. A certified arborist can help keep trees healthy year-round so they are less susceptible to winter issues.

Other measures can be taken to reduce the risk of damage including diverting salt from trees by erecting barriers of burlap or wood, laying down mulch to prevent seepage and watering during dry periods. These preventative measures can decrease the chances of trees experiencing heavy damage.

— Information Provided by: Bartlett Tree Experts at www.bartlett.com
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While snow can be pretty and make children’s wishes of no school in the morning come true, it can also be a messy hassle for homeowners. Depending on where you live and how much snow you are used to getting, your needs for hiring snow removal might vary. Some people may do just fine breaking out the old snow shovel themselves or paying the kid down the street a few bucks to do the job, but there are many situations where neither of these options is convenient. If your area typically gets a lot of snow or even if your area gets a few heavy snowfalls per year, you may want to consider calling for professional snow removal.

Professional Snow Removal Benefits
As with hiring any service, professional snow removal is only worth the cost if you cannot do the job adequately or conveniently on your own. Homeowners in cities and towns who simply have a sidewalk to shovel might find that it’s simply less of a problem (and less expensive) to do the job themselves.

Those who have a large driveway or live in an out-of-the-way area might find that the time saved by hiring a professional snow removal service is a lifesaver when it comes to getting to work on time or simply staying out of the cold for hours on end. Even with a snow-blower, the results you’ll get doing the job yourself may not be as impressive as what a pro can do with a plow they are trained to use well.

Another big reason to hire a snow removal service comes about when you own rental properties. Whether it is an apartment complex or a few houses around town, having a professional snow removal service working for you will ensure that your tenants are happy and safe.

When to Call for Professional Snow Removal
Think about snow removal especially during the holidays. With guests coming and going frequently throughout the season, hiring a snow removal service would be worth your investment. It will make your life easier and provide you with more time to spend with loved ones. Especially if you’re expecting visitors who are elderly or who have very small children, removing snow and ice from your property will make their stay a safer one.

Most snow removal services will offer several different kinds of plans. You’ll be able to decide if you want an on-going service that shows up every time it snows or if you want to call on an as-needed basis. It’s a good idea, however, to have some sort of understanding set up before the snow begins to fly, because once the roads get bad, scheduling becomes a big issue for these companies.

If you’ve never hired (or even considered hiring) a professional snow removal service, there are a few things you should think about before you call. If your main concern after a big snowfall is simply getting your car out of your driveway and onto a state maintained road, you might do a little shopping around to see if you can find a company that will dig out your car as well as plow your driveway. Prices and services will vary by company, and if you have a good idea of what you need, you’ll be more likely to find a place that can meet your criteria at a reasonable price.

Contact Legendary Landscape for snow removal and plowing services in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Virginia. 540-379-8930

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Tips for Snow Plowing and Snow Removal in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Virginia

Vist us at www.legendarylandscape.com or Call (540) 379-8930 to request Snow removal in Fredericksburg or Spotsylvania Virginia.

Helpful Advice For Plowing With Your Truck/SUV
For Your Driveway Snow Removal:

To ensure easy maintenance of driveways throughout the winter season, plow your drive ways as wide as possible during the first snowfall.

Here’s how:

Set the plow on an angle and proceed down the lane close to the edge where the snow will be piled. Be careful to stay clear of ditches, trees, buildings and any other obstacles that may run parallel with the laneway.
At the end of the driveway, turn the vehicle around and without changing the angle of the plow, return on the other side of the driveway to accumulate a second pile of snow. Repeat this action to push the snow pile back further.

For Your Small Business Parking Lot:

To ensure easy maintenance of your small business parking lot, plow parking areas as widely as possible and as deep as possible during the first snowfall.

Here’s how:

Generally, work from the center to one side and then from the center again to the other side. Do this by setting the plow on an angle and proceed down the center of the parking lot until you reach the far edge.

Lift the plow and back up to the position that you started from. Now, plow a parallel and slighting overlapping path. After you have plowed half the parking lot, exit the vehicle, adjust the plow to the opposite angle and starting from the center again, work progressively in a lateral direction, towards the outer edge of the parking lot.

When approaching the end of the lot, reduce your speed and stop before the blade slams the snow pile. Your plow should not be used to stack the snow.

Helpful Advice For Plowing With Your ATV

Source: Below is an excerpt from the article “Moving Snow – Tips & Tricks For Plowing Snow With Your Quad” that appeared in ATV Magazine’s 2007 Buyer’s Guide. For more information about this magazine, please visit www.atvmagonline.com.

One way to determine you are plowing your driveway correctly is to watch someone who has experience doing it. Of course, you could learn by the seat of your pants, but watching someone else do it could pay off. Watching snow plowing could mean watching that diesel truck push snow across the bank parking lot, or it could mean watching your neighbor use his ATV. The goal is to learn what not to do.

Don’t plow fast! This can be dangerous because the blade could catch on an edge or rock or curb and force the ATV to a jarring halt. Typically, you’ll want to drive at a pace that both pushes snow effectively, yet is not so fast it damages the blade or any of its parts. Practice makes perfect. Plus, your quad’s speed will be determined by the amount of traction it’s getting and the type of snow you are trying to move.

Don’t tear up your lawn. A smart move is to push the snow further than to the edge of your driveway, if possible. That way, when the temperature warms up, the snow won’t melt on your driveway and form patchy ice. The theory is, if you push it far enough away from your driveway, it will melt into the ground and not on the driveway.

Don’t push all the snow in your driveway to the end of the drive, especially if it’s a wet, sticky snow. All this will do is create one large, firmly packed wall of white stuff. Your ATV is not powerful enough to move it and that means you’ll have to bust out a shovel.

We’ve tried several methods over the years and a down and back method seems to work for us. It creates less snow build up or deep spots. We’ve also pushed one direction to the edge of a driveway and then stopped, reversed the quad and created a new path in the same direction. However, you must lift the blade off the ground before you back up, unless the manufacturer says it’s not necessary.

Some professional snowplow operators have learned the skill of lifting the plow blade as they approach the pile. This has a couple advantages. The first is it lifts the snow to new heights and helps you push it farther off your driveway or open lot. The second is it prevents you from smashing into the wall of snow and possibly damaging the blade or its parts.

Don’t assume your plow will always work perfectly. Regardless of which system you select, you must examine it before, during and after each usage. Look at it before you plow for loose parts for example. Inspect it while you plow to prevent ice build up, which can make pushing snow more difficult. Finally, examine after you plow so you know it will be ready to go the next time you need it. Plus, if you find any damage, you may have time to order new parts before the next massive snow storm hits.

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