On Fri, 9 Mar 2012 10:02:46 +0000, gardenermatt wrote:

With winter closing, my pathways in the garden are still covered in the
de-icing salt I bought from 'Value Topsoil | Bark Mulch | Decorative
Aggregates | De-icing Salt from Hallstone'
(http://www.hallstonedirect.co.uk/).

Rock salt won't do much to the soil pH, but the sodium and chloride ions
probably won't do your grass much good. If it hasn't dissolved, sweep up
what you can, and then flood-irrigate the soils near your pathway as much as
possible... the idea is to wash the Na+ and Cl- ions into the soil and below
the root zone.

Next year, consider CMA (calcium magnesium acetate) or sand or kitty litter
for your pathways. All of them are much easier on the vegetation and on your
cats. Put a good foot mat outside the door if you use sand... sand, tracked
into the house, will damage wood flooring or carpets quite a bit.

For the person who suggested not deicing pathways: that's not an option for
some of us. If we have a spate of below freezing weather where I live (PNW
US) I need to go out to the pump house and set up to prevent the water line
from freezing. The choices for me are to use the stepping stones in the pathwayor sink to my ankles in mud.