Grey snow mold is a lawn disease that likes cold, damp weather. Ideal conditions are temperatures around 30-40 degrees for an extended period of time. The disease grows in long grass over winter under snow or a wet layer of leaves.
After a cold, snowy winter, you long to see green again. As the snow melts, you look out at your newly exposed lawn, only to see grayish circles all over it. Gray snow mold loves the cold, and grows on your lawn when snow has been on the ground for a while. It also grows under layers of leaves over the winter. With a few preventive steps, you can reduce the likelihood that your lawn will be attacked by this disease.
Extra-long grass is a favorite breeding ground for grey snow mold. While you don't want to mow your grass down to stubble, cutting it a little shorter than usual before the snow arrives can do a lot to prevent this problem.
A thick mat of leaves creates a welcome environment for grey snow mold. In the fall, use your lawnmower to mulch leaves into the lawn. Find out more about mulching leaves into your lawn here.
Not all lawn food is alike. Some contain a lot of fast-release nitrogen for a quick green-up. Nitrogen can promote the growth of grey snow mold. Using a low-nitrogen, slow-release lawn food, such as Scotts® Turf Builder® WinterGuard provides the right kind of nutrients your lawn needs for storing energy over the winter.
If the weather warms up after the snow melts, chances are, the disease will go away on its own. If the temperatures stay around 30-40 degrees, the mold will be happier and your lawn more diseased. Rake out any dead grass and reseed when the temperatures go up. Find out how to fix bare spots here.
Grey snow mold is a lawn disease that likes cold, damp weather. Ideal conditions are temperatures around 30-40 degrees for an extended period of time. The disease grows in long grass over winter under snow or a wet layer of leaves.
