Snow mold in the lawn is caused by moisture and cold.
How to counteract this – and why waiting can also be a solution.
Snow mold is a disease that affects lawns in winter or spring, leaving brown or gray patches.
The disease can cause significant damage to the garden, so it should be treated in a timely manner.
In this article, you will learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of snow mold in lawns.
Causes of snow mold
Snow mold is caused by a fungus called
Gerlachia nivalis
, which thrives in humid and cold climates.
The mycelium can form under a blanket of snow covering the lawn and as the snow melts, it spreads.
The disease can also occur when the ground is damp and cold and there is no snow cover.
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In spring, the notorious snow mold appears on some lawns.
© imagebroker/Imago
Snow mold symptoms
Snow mold is characterized by brown or gray patches on the lawn, sometimes forming in a ring around the edge of the affected area.
The patches can vary in size and often grow together to affect larger areas of the lawn.
A light-colored mycelium, which can even appear pink, often appears at the edges of the spots.
As the disease progresses, the lawn can lose its green color and die.
A lawn pest can also be behind brown spots.
Ten gardening chores to do in spring
Ten gardening chores to do in spring
Treatment of snow mold
The best treatment for snow mold is to avoid it.
You can do this by making sure your lawn is well drained and that you mow the lawn to the correct length in the fall.
Leaves should also be removed from the lawn in autumn, as fungal diseases can spread underneath.
If you already have snow mold, here's what you can do:
In the spring, scarify the lawn in the affected areas down to the turf.
This will remove dead grass.
Then sow the bare spots again and cover 2-3 centimeters with sand.
High-quality seed prevents a new infestation.
Fertilize your lawn in spring to help it recover.
Avoid overwatering and allow the lawn to dry between waterings.
You can find everything to do with household and garden tips in the regular living newsletter from our partner Merkur.de.
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Mold will go away on its own in the summer
Anyone who shys away from the effort or generally has little time for lawn care can simply wait and sit out the mold infestation.
"When it gets warmer and drier, the cold-loving mold disappears on its own," the experts from
Oekotest.de
know .
"However, it can come back next year if enough spores have survived in the lawn." Yellow spots forming in your lawn?
Then dog urine can also be behind it.
This article was created with the help of machines and carefully reviewed by editor Andrea Stettner before publication.
Rubric list image: © imagebroker/Imago
