What to Do If You Are Left With This Situation on Your Lawn

The good news - the snow is almost all gone.  The bad news - we are now left with a lot of snow mold.

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Why was this winter/Spring one of the worst for snow mold?  There are a few factors that play into that situation.  According to a lawn maintenance company, Turf Tech Lawn Services, snow mold happens when there is wet ground, not frozen in the Fall and we get a layer of snow.

The long season of snow cover can take its toll on Minnesota lawns, and fungal diseases can often afflict turf in the early spring. The common names for two of these diseases are Gray Snow Mold and Pink Snow Mold. Both of these diseases are most severe when early snow covers wet, unfrozen ground in the fall.

There are also two types of snow mold  Gray snow mold and Pink snow mold.  There are only slight variances between the two.

Gray snow mold - grayish-white mold, or mycelium, with speckled dark flecks. The mycelia are usually most noticed on the outer edge of the spots.

if you have the other type, Pink snow mold, you will see these characteristics:

 ...there aren't as many speckled dark flecks and the mycelia are a pinkish to reddish-brown coloring (hence the name)

Also, as an added benefit, Pink snow mold can actually happen without snow.  If this does develop without snow cover, the spots are larger, and will turn a grayish color.

So, if we all (or a lot of us) have this issue this Spring, what are we supposed to do about it?  Luckily there is rain in the forecast and that will wash some or most of it away,. Otherwise just keep the area clear from debris; such as leaves, twigs, and other debris that can be on the lawn.  Just good maintenance and proper mowing should take care of it, and your lawn should recover.  Also, it is recommended that you don't walk on a "tender" lawn until it dries out from the snow cover, or at least keep the lawn traffic to a minimum.