# How much salt per acre should I use?



## overdhill1 (Nov 30, 2008)

I am doing a 7+ acre lot. How much salt should I be spreading?


----------



## flykelley (Dec 29, 2003)

Welcome to Plowsite
The rule of thumb is one ton per acre, but there are many things that will change that amount. Surface temps, air temps is snow still falling, are you trying to burn off a inch of snow? Are you trying to burn through some ice. The layout of the lot, is it flat, hilly, does it get any sun? What time are they open for business, what time are you salting, so as you can see there is no pat answer. Nothing like good old experience so you can learn. Also a lot of customers don't want every square inch of the lot salted, so you have to learn from real world experience's.

Good Luck Mike


----------



## DaySpring Services (Feb 1, 2005)

A ton per acre...Don't you think that's a little on the heavy side. I use about 15lbs/1,000sqft. For my estimates.


----------



## flykelley (Dec 29, 2003)

DaySpring Services;1005031 said:


> A ton per acre...Don't you think that's a little on the heavy side. I use about 15lbs/1,000sqft. For my estimates.


Thats what the so called experts say, do a little digging around the internet. Myself I have never used that much but going by your numbers you use 15 lbs every 1000 sq ft. Im not sure how your melting anything with that small of amount of salt. Thats a 50 pound page for every 3000 sq ft?? Seems low to me.

Mike


----------



## overdhill1 (Nov 30, 2008)

They are only allowing me to use 6 - 80# bags. I salt after plowing, the sun hits it pretty good. Sometimes it only turns the salt brown, but in the high 20s with sun it melts off the lot. The rest of the lots around look like after the rain rather than snow.


----------



## flykelley (Dec 29, 2003)

overdhill1;1005067 said:


> They are only allowing me to use 6 - 80# bags. I salt after plowing, the sun hits it pretty good. Sometimes it only turns the salt brown, but in the high 20s with sun it melts off the lot. The rest of the lots around look like after the rain rather than snow.


Hi Overhill, I do not see how you can salt 7 acres with 480 pounds of salt. That is around 1/4 ton of salt, but if that is all they will allow there isn't much you can do. Myself I never let a customer tell me how much or little salt is enough. If someone falls and when you get sued they will ask you how much salt did you apply, I can tell you for sure 480 pounds of salt on a 7 acre site is not enough. I would make them sign a waiver of liability, let them accept the liability when someone falls and sues you.

Just my two cents.
Good Luck Mike


----------



## overdhill1 (Nov 30, 2008)

I am a sub. It is the general making me use only 6 bags. They wanted me to do it with 4 bags originally. It was like pulling teeth to get them to allow me to even use 6. I dont have any liabilities. I am sure they bid it out ot a few tons per occurance. I keep telling them that they are going to lose the account, but the ones I thought they would lose last year, they still have.


----------



## JDiepstra (Sep 15, 2008)

From time to time I throw 8 40lb bags of "ice melt" down on a 1 acre lot. Lets call that equal to about 700 lbs of salt. I consider even this to be on the low end.

The amount they are having you put down is rediculous.


----------



## overdhill1 (Nov 30, 2008)

Maybe I'll pick up the contract when they lose it.


----------



## Rc2505 (Feb 5, 2007)

I was always told that 800 to 1000 pounds of salt per acre is the right amount. So I have figured out the settings on my spreaders, and thats what I have them calibrated to. Seems to work out fine for me.


----------

