The prediction for St. Louis’s winter season is a bleak one: cold, ice, and snow. We have heard this forecast before, but assuming that this season we will see substantial accumulations of ice and snow, you might consider laying down some alternative deicers.

Most of us are accustomed to purchasing bags of salt at your local store, and laying it on the concrete before the storms hit. This works, but has its fair share of negative consequences. Salt deicers are harmful to plants and can damage newly laid hardscapes, such as your driveway and walkways. This rock salt is also not safe for animals. So what does work?

One alternative is to purchase urea fertilizer from your local home improvement store and use it like you would use a traditional salt-based deicer. This is what has been used on airport runways and has been found to be extremely effective. It does not harm your grass or any other plants you have growing near where you would be deicing and is safe for animals. Another suggestion is to use kitty litter on all icy spots. In order to protect your plants this winter, I would highly recommend steering clear of the salt and choosing a more environmentally friendly deicer.