What’s the mold on my grass?
Spring weather is coming! The weather is warming up, days are longer, and the snow is melting! Many times you will see mold forming where the snow was. What is this? This is called snow mold.
Snow mold is either pink or white, it forms as the snow is melting and the temperatures are warm. The spores form under the snow during the winter, and they turn into mold as the snow melts. This is fairly common when the conditions are right. While this is unsightly, it will go away on its own as the temperatures continue to warm up and the lawn dries out.
Treatement: There is no real treatment or ‘cure’ for snow mold that is recommended. Fungicide is generally not a successful form of treatment. Once the mold has gone, rake up the areas that were effected. In many cases the grass will come back and recover. If there is too much damage you may need to re-seed the area. If re-seeding is required be sure to do it early in the season, put down some soil to make it easier for the seed to germinate, and avoid the area with any pre-emergent/crabgrass control.
Prevention: There is not much prevention for snow mold since it is dependent on conditions. However cutting your lawn a little shorter in the fall and cleanup of leaves can help to prevent snow mold.
