I was told of this site by Newt, I have enjoyed reading all the different stuff over here, great site. I am a grounds keeper in Southern California and a florist for private homes as well as interior plant maintenance. In other words I love plants. One of the hardest things I deal with is salt from the ocean. Most of my accounts are on the water, it's funny you can tell what season we are in by what side of the yard is burning. I have only been able to stay on top of it by hosing everything down 2 or 3 times a week. So my question is, is there a better way to handle salty air? Thanks for your time
Having lived very near the coast in Miami for 20 years I know exactly what you are talking about. We normally only saw the burning after a wind storm since actual spray didn't get to us, but the salt in the air did! The only thing we ever figured out to do is exactly what you are doing. Seems life near the beach can be difficult, Well, at least for the people who take care of the plants!
I'd use only plants that are naturally adapted to tolerate salt spray. There's plenty of lists of them on various websites. For trees in your area, Torrey Pine springs to mind as a first choice. A shelterbelt of those will also do a lot to protect other plants downwind of them.
