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Posted by Oren on April 20, 2007, 3:46 pm
>Hi All,
>
>This is more of a lawn and garden question, but I didn't get much
>response on that group. I thought I'd try here since this group tends
>to attract a wide variety of expertise.
>
>I recently purchased a new home and have noticed a large area in my
>back yard that looked like death on roots. The grass was brown, a
>dozen or so smaller trees, one mature forsythia, a small rhododendron
>were all dead. A large Weeping Willow is on its last legs.
>
>When I investigated the problem, it didn't take me long to realize
>what was causing it. The previous owner ran the drain tube for his
>water softener into a sump pit in the basement. He then channeled
>the
>discharge from the pit to the affected spot at the back of my lawn.
>Every time the softener cycled, it flushed a potent load of salt
>water
>onto the root systems killing everything.
>
>I've already shut down the softener and will remediate the drainage
>right away directing the discharge to the house sewage system where
>it
>belongs. In the mean time I'm wondering what to do with my scorched
>earth.
>
>- Is there a way I can test the soil salinity to determine the extent
>of my problem?
>- Will rain water eventually wash the problem away? The roof gutters
>discharge to the same location so there's plenty of irrigation.
>- Is there something I can plant in the damaged area that loves salt,
>and possibly even eats it up?
>
>Thank you in advance for your answers.
>
>-Tom B
>Audubon, PA
Found this easy read: Reclaiming Salt Contaminated Land
http://www.worldfeeder.com/reclaiming-salt-land.html
Good Luck.
--
Oren
"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"
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