Most people love a beautiful blanket of snow on their lawn during the wintertime, but they are not aware of the fact that there can be a very unwelcome visitor lurking underneath that snow. The worst thing is, they probably will not know about it until the snow is already melted and the disease has done its damage.
Snow mold typically becomes a problem when the blanket of snow does not melt for a long period of time. The mold begins to grow when a thick, wet blanket of snow falls on ground that is not frozen.
The symptoms of snow mold generally consist of circular patches of dead grass that are usually 3 to 12 inches in diameter. In extreme cases, you might not be able to tell that these patches are circles at all because most of the grass has died. Pink snow mold, caused by Microdochium nivale, can look white initially and when it matures, it turns from a pale pink to a deep salmon-like color. Gray snow mold, caused by species in the genus Typhula, is anywhere from gray to white in color. It is a good idea to determine whether you are dealing with gray or pink snow mold, because gray snow mold does not tend to damage more than just the blades of the grass. Pink snow mold can completely kill the roots if it is left untreated.
Snow molds are usually active around temperatures just above freezing in somewhat wet conditions. It can grow not only when snow covers a lawn, but also when autumn leaves cover it for a long period of time, as well. Any kind of grass can be affected by this disease, but it has been noted that Kentucky bluegrass lawns are some of the least likely to suffer severe damage.
If you want to prevent snow mold from growing on your lawn, one of the best things that you can do is take care of it around the end of summer. As long as the grass keeps growing, you should keep having it mowed. If you apply any fertilizers to your lawn during the fall, you should apply them over six weeks before you expect the grass to stop growing. Nitrogen fertilizer should not be used around the time the grass stops growing or it will cause a burst of growth and give the mold more to feed on while the snow is on top of it.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration contractors and
Mold Remediation companies across the united states.
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