Close up of snow mold on turf grass.

With all of the snow we now have in Western Massachusetts the problem of snow molds will inevitably show up this spring. You may recognize these as the flat, matted brown and white patches that crop up where snow piles sat during the spring snow melt. Here are a few steps you can take to deal with the problems that snow molds present.

-Break up snow piles when the warmer temperatures occur. Snow molds tend to be persistent wherever snow piles remain when most of the other snow has melted in the spring. With this much snow, avoiding piles is impossible so breaking them up when will help once warmer weather arrives.

-Lightly rake out areas of snow mold. This breaks up the mold and allows air to dry out these areas, thus stopping the fungus from persisting.

-Fertilize in the spring. Fertilizing can help limit the damage done by snow molds and prevent fungus problems from persisting.

-Reseed if necessary. If too much damage has occurred, some spot seeding can help fill in those unsightly patches.

Check back as we approach the spring season for more lawn care tips!

-Shawn Smith

Owner

Norwottuck Lawn Care