[Fwd: [Fwd: Damage to plant life using salt]]

[Dan Keefe]

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Dear OM,

I am taking your suggestion and forwarding my comments about the use of
salts to dope grounding rods.

73

Dan Keefe  KS6Z

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Message-ID: <32CE578C.4A24@sprynet.com>
Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 05:13:48 -0800
From: Dan Keefe <KS6Z@sprynet.com>
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To: Pete Soper <psoper@encore.com>
Subject: [Fwd: Damage to plant life using salt]
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Hi OM,

Here is another part of that story for your consideration.

Dan Keefe  KS6Z

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Message-ID: <32CE5708.7CC9@sprynet.com>
Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 05:11:36 -0800
From: Dan Keefe <KS6Z@sprynet.com>
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To: N3UN <wwilson@ccpl.carr.lib.md.us>
Subject: Damage to plant life using salt
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Dear OM,

Using any of the listed salts would damage plants in the immediate area
to about the same degree as a nuclear blast.  There is a consideration
that applies here which mitigates the damage considerably however.  

If the salt is put in a hole a few inches to a foot deep surrounding the
ground rod it will, over time, travel straight down and not move off to
the side to any appreciable amount. Sooner or later the ingredients will
combine with other chemicals in the soil and become other compounds most
of which will be inert. It may take years for it to travel down
depending on the chemical.  Phosphorus contained in nearly every bag of
fertilizer has the same characteristics.  Phosphorus travels down in the
soil at the rate of one inch per year that is why phosphorus should be
mixed in the backfill soil when planting any plant. If it isn't it will
never really be available to the plant when it needs it.

The important thing is to avoid putting salt on the surface and leaving
it there to wash down (it will be all over the place after the first
rainstorm) and to avoid putting salt in a place where it will eventually
come in contact with a substantial part of the root mass of any plant.
That is going to cause certain death of the plant.

Major damage can and does occur when salt is used to melt winter ice.
Fortunately, we don't face that problem here but I grew up in Boston, Ma
and every winter my dad used to take a carton of salt outside and
sprinkle it on the steps and walk to melt the ice.  He felt it was a lot
easier to re-seed if necessary that to deal with broken bones caused by
a fall.

Dan Keefe  KS6Z
Vista, California


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