From snow to…whoa! We enjoyed our snowy January, did you? With the snow piles lingering for weeks in January and more snow in February we have a few cautions for your lawn and landscape. Because we haven’t experienced this much snow since 2017, you may not remember the consequences of persistent snow piles, but we sure do!
At Green Horizon, we are preparing for our first fertilizer and pre-emergent treatment and anticipate our technician reporting winter damage on some lawns in the form of snow mold. Snow mold is a fungal disease and is a possibility when snow remains on the ground for an extended period.
You may see sunken spots or patches in the lawn, matted grass leaves, or whitish/pinkish moldy looking patches. Those patches may come together to form larger areas up to several feet in diameter. Because this area of Virginia doesn’t regularly experience large amounts of snow, we do not generally use a fungicide in the fall to PREVENT snow damage as it would not be cost effective for the homeowner. Recurrent snow mold problems MAY be treated with a fungicide in the Fall on a case-by-case basis.
Snow mold can have several significant impacts on the overall health of your lawn beyond just damage to the grass blades. You may have weakened turf, making it more susceptible to other stresses and diseases throughout the growing season: patches of dead grass, resulting in a thinned-out lawn that may require overseeding or renovation; affected areas may take longer to recover and green up in the spring compared to healthy parts of the lawn; those thin areas can provide opportunities for weeds to establish; and lawns that have been affected by snow mold in the past may be more susceptible to future infections.
You can expect your technician to be on the lookout for snow mold damage with your first treatment. If snow mold is identified, you can speed recovery by gently raking damaged areas to remove thatch and promote air circulation. If you are not noticing RECOVERY after a few weeks, please let us know, as a SPRING AERATION may be helpful.
With prompt care in the spring, long-term impact of snow mold on your lawn’s overall health will be minimized, and you’ll be ready for Spring Easter Egg Hunts in no time!
