How to Reduce Salinity in Soil

Overwater the soil to push salt in soil below the root zone. The problem with saline soils is not so much the presence of salt in the soil as it is the salt's location in the root zone, where is can be easily absorbed by plants. Therefore, saturating the soil with more water than plants growing in the soil actually needs can push the salts out of the root zone to a lower soil level where plants will be unable to absorb the salt. This method of managing saline soils is known as the leaching requirement method.

Cultivate salt-tolerant plants. Plants that can tolerate salt will absorb salt along with moisture, nutrients and other materials from soil, thereby removing excess salt from the soil and rendering the soil less saline for plants that you plan to cultivate in the future. Examples of salt-tolerant plants include tamarix, alkali grass, asparagus, creeping bentgrass and iceplant.

Retest your soil periodically to verify a reduction in soil salinity. If your soil's salinity remains too high to support healthy plant growth, that soil may be unsuitable for cultivating plants that are not salt-tolerant.