Does Salt Inhibit Grass Growth?

Does Salt Inhibit Grass Growth?

by

Debra K. Griffiths

BIO

Abstracts

The Scientific Method includes making an observation then asking what would make an event take place in a certain environments or controls. Then a hypothesis (educated guess) is made and a prediction to back the hypothesis. At that point the experiment is taking place and the results come in. Once the results are in, there is a conclusion. Did the hypothesis come out correct or did it fail? Does it require more observation and tests or is it a definite fail? Does salt inhibit grass growth requires information gathering and a hypothesis and the pattern of The Experimental Process.

Does Salt Inhibit Grass Growth?

Introduction:

In the winter, salt is sprayed on snow on the driveway to melt it, but in the Spring, grass will not grow within 3 inches of the driveway and grows very slowly at a foot from the driveway. Investigation shows that grass will will not grow, stunt its growth or die out depending on the amount of saturation of salt. The key factor in a plant or grass is the ability to survive is its osmotic potential. Osmosis is the ability to pull water with nutrients from the soil up to the roots of the plant or grass. Higher levels of salt will force grass to use more energy to get water. The grass will not grow or grows slower based on the amount of salt absorbed through the soil.

Extreme doses of salt will slow osmosis and keep roots from taking water up fast enough to replace what the grass has lost. So depending upon the loss of the ability for osmosis to occur, growth will be slower, cause wilting or even die. Salt will also cause root rot and disease on certain salt-affected grasses. (Saltwater Kills Plants).

Hypothesis:

The salt is contaminating the soil where the snow is melting and running off the driveway onto the soil. As it flows it ebbs off a foot off the...