Did you know snow can cause mold on your lawn? Snow mold is a type of fungal disease that develops under snow cover. When spring arrives and the snow has melted away, on your lawn you will see discolored patches on the grass. You can’t prevent the snow falling on your yard but you can prevent it from piling up in your yard. Areas where snow mold usually form are areas where snow is piled up (like where you and your kids built that snowman). Don’t forget to unpile your kids snowman they built in your yard after the fun is over!
As pretty as it might look when the temperature is freezing and your yard looks like a winter wonderland, do not walk across your yard. The frozen temps cause your grass to become brittle and weak which will damage your yard.
Lawns that are properly fertilized before the brittle winter months will fare best against snow mold. Also, leading up to the winter wonderland we all hope for this Christmas, we will most likely have many frosty mornings. When the lawn is frosted, the grass blades are literally frozen. Any activity or walking on the lawn will “break” the glass blade and damage the lawn!
It’s hard to notice the damage of your lawn until come Spring when everything begins to thaw. At this time, you may notice blotchy spots due to winter kill. These areas are likely caused by areas that took longer to thaw due to lack of sunlight or areas with more snow. The grass likely will then need nutrients in order to grow strong again.
Let’s all try and look out for mother nature and keep our lawns as healthy as we can this winter!