As
winter (finally!) comes to an end, many homeowners are dealing with another kind
of “white stuff” on their lawn: mold. There are two types of snow mold: Grey
Snow Mold (Typhula blight) and Pink Snow Mold (Fusarium patch), both of which
are fungal diseases that are common in spring
lawns.
Snow
mold develops when there is an extended period of snow cover on ground that is
not completely frozen. It can also be brought on if a lawn is not properly
prepared for winter. For example, a badly timed fertilizer application can
cause a flush of growth too late in the fall. Snow mold can also thrive under
leaves that
have not been cleaned up or in long grass that should have been mowed one last
time before winter set in.
Seeing
Spots?
Snow
mold damage looks like circular patches of dead, matted grass. It is not unusual
to find both gray and pink snow mold together. While both are more or less
white, grey-hued snow mold only infects the leafs of grass while pink snow mold
does more damage because it attacks the entire crown of the
plant.
Pink
snow mold is distinguished by the pink color of the web-like mycelium growing on
the grass surface. When the grass is wet, the moldy growth looks like white
cobwebs, but it turns pink as it matures then disappears when the grass dries.
Gray snow mold is similar, except its mycelium stays whitish-gray and it
produces tiny black mycelial masses (sclerotia) on the grass
blades.
Spring
Cleaning!
Fungicides are available to both
prevent and treat snow mold, but because the damage is largely superficial and
temporary, you’re probably better off handling it with a little spring cleaning
in your yard. Simply raking the infected area will remove thatch and debris and
speed up the drying process – once the grass is dry, the mold will dry up too
and your lawn will then grow out and renew itself. Some overseeding may be
necessary or, if there is a great deal of damage, topdressing can be applied and
areas can be repaired like a bare
patch.
Although it can look really nasty,
most snow mold damage will recover with little or no work on your part. If
that’s not enough of a silver lining, just remember that it’s also a sure sign
of spring and warmer days are certainly on the way!
