Soil Salinity
Also known as: salt build-up, salinity
Soil salinity is the concentration of dissolved salts in soil, which can damage plant roots and limit water uptake when it builds up over time.
Salts occur naturally in soil and irrigation water, but they only cause problems once they accumulate faster than rainfall or deep watering can wash them back out. High salinity makes it harder for roots to draw up water even when the soil is technically moist, a condition sometimes called physiological drought, and it can scorch leaf edges and stunt growth in sensitive species.
Salinity is a routine issue in UAE gardens for two reasons: the region gets very little rainfall to naturally flush soil, and municipal irrigation water, along with groundwater in some areas, carries more dissolved minerals than water in temperate climates. Coastal soils and areas irrigated with borewell water tend to run higher still.
The standard fix is a deep, thorough watering, sometimes called a salt flush, that pushes accumulated salts below the root zone rather than just wetting the surface. Species vary widely in tolerance: paspalum grass and many desert-native plants handle salinity far better than cool-season lawns or temperate ornamentals.
Related terms
Need this done? →
Green Beetle handles this across Dubai and Sharjah, with a free site visit and a fixed, written quote.