Using Salt for Weed Control Under Bird Feeders: Why It's a Bad Idea

A gardener asked about using salt to suppress weeds under a bird feeder. The advice: don't do it. Sodium from salt binds with clay particles, making soil harder and less permeable. When rain dissolves the salt, it creates a concentrated solution that burns the roots of nearby desirable plants.

Even if no ornamentals are close by, there's another drawback: deer may discover the salt lick and become regular, destructive visitors. For weed control under feeders, consider landscape fabric topped with mulch, or simply accept a few weeds as the cost of feeding birds.