Fungus is a fascinating topic. I have always been a fun-guy. Mold however can be a disappointing start to the spring season after a dreary long winter. In spring when the snow clears off your lawn it’s the big reveal! If it is brown, matted and covered in snow mold it can be a bummer. Is matting or snow mold likely to kill your lawn? The answer is no. Could it get your green green grass of home lawn off to a slow start? The answer is yes. It is like that matted look when you get out of bed in the morning. Nothing a good cup of coffee and a yawn can’t fix. It’s likely the matting and the snow mold hasn’t killed your lawn but has killed some leaf tissue. It is especially likely if snow cover started early last year in November before the lawn had “hardened off” for winter and or if the leaves were still falling off the trees and matted on your lawn before cleanup or you didn’t get the final mowing in last November. Whew. It is also likely if snow cover existed for 60 days or more and damp wet conditions and temperatures in the 40’s are around in March. Chemical treatments are not needed. Your goal is to dry out the affected areas. Open them up to sunlight and air movement. Rake damaged grass lightly to reduce matting and to help increase airflow. Warmer days are ahead. Later in April a fertilizer application when you apply crabgrass pre-emergence will do the trick to establish some lawn and order again.
