Managing Snow Mold

1/7/2019 (Permalink)

Recently we have witnessed our first snow of the season! This brings to mind the subject of snow Mold. Snow Mold is caused when there is snow on the ground but the ground is not completely frozen. Snow Mold is also found under leaves that have not been cleaned up that should have been moved as part of a final fall landscaping cleanup, before winter set in.

How is snow Mold prevented?

• Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizers in the fall,
• Mow the lawn until it stops growing,
• Clean up leaves in the fall,
• Manage thatch, to avoid accumulations of more than 2"

Although it can look really gross in the early spring, most snow mold damage will recover in time. Once the area has dried, the infection will end and the grass will grow out and renew itself.