Why Is My Copper Roof Killing My Lawn?

About

• Plants need copper from the soil for good health and proper growth. While copper sulfate is a common fungicide for agricultural crop diseases, such as scab and blight, copper toxicity of lawns is uncommon. In time, copper roofing oxidizes into a bright-green patina, and excessive leaching subsides.

Why

• When it rains or snows, tiny particles of copper roofing leach into the soil below. Copper toxicity occurs from excessive leaching, such as from an extraordinarily rainy season. Copper is a component in some plant fertilizers, and its use coupled with the leaching from the copper roof may cause copper toxicity in the lawn. Copper accumulates in the soil, damaging plant roots and creating a plant dead zone beneath the roof's drip line.

Solution

• Short of replacing the entire roof, there is little remedy for copper toxicity in a lawn. Copper is not readily removed from the soil, so prevention is the best solution. In severe toxicity cases, the lawn and topsoil may need replacement.