How do you neutralize soil that has been saturated with salt?

Answer 1

Neutralizing Salt Saturated Soil

Technically you do not "neutralize" salts in soils. What you want to do is dissolve and remove them.

For container plants, flush repeatedly with fresh clean water.

Considerable amounts of water are needed for flowerbeds, lawns, gardens or large plots of land in most parts of the world. Fields are normally irrigated with enough water to dissolve and wash the salts out of the root zone for the plants you are growing.

It is also very important to know whether any of the salts are sodium salts. If sodium salts are present (this is a saline-sodic soil) in a garden, yard or farm field, the sodium must first be displaced by another cation, like calcium, before flushing the soil with water. Gypsum is typically added to supply the calcium. If this is not done first, the soil structure will be ruined, and the field or garden will have to be flooded again after calcium is supplied to it, wasting time, money and soil productivity.

Another (longer term) idea...In Australia where there is a problem of sodic soils there are plantings of certain species that absorb the salt into their leaves to reduce the level in the soil. These can then be culled and the soil used. This may not be practical on a small scale though! Or if your in a hurry! The types of plants used are saltbushes, atriplex, myoporums, and some melaleucas although all countries have their own salt - tolerant species. Most are fast growing and small. In the meantime you could try growing asparagus... you are supposed to add salt when planting!

Answer 2

Neutralization is impossible; the unique possibility is to wash salt from soil with water.

Answer 3

Add cut up quarters of raw potato and cook. The potatoes will absorb the excess salt.

Answer 4

Many plants doesn't accept salt in the soil.

Answer 5

Salt is extracted from mines by mining.