What is snow mold? Why do I have white rings of death on my grass after the snow melted? Why do I have spotted grass? Spotted grass in march or winter?


A fungal issue that begins as wilting and discoloration of the grass that turns into fungal structures as it is allowed to grow eventually death spots of the grass occur due to lack of action.


What are the types of snow mold? Gray and Pink are the most common ones. The Latin name for snow molds are Gray Snow Mold Typhula species and most commonly Pink Snow Mold: Microdochium nivale. Snow mold usually does not occur below 22 degrees fahrenheit.


What causes snow mold? Why did the snow kill my grass? Can snow kill grass? How does it form? And what are reactions that cause snow mold? Why do I have snow mold? Why does it keep showing up in my lawn in similar spots?


In general, the trapping of heat in the grass blade zone between soil and an insulating natural barrier (INB). This can be caused by a synthetic material too but often is of natural creation. In this grass blade zone trapped between INB and the soil, the soil is still warm and releases heat where blades sit in a warm moist environment which allows fungus to develop.


How do I prevent snow mold? How do I reduce snow mold? How do I stop snow mold? In essence the natural idea is to get the soil to reduce it’s temperatures so that once the snow falls and stays, there is no heat present in the grass blade zone.


You allow the soil to cool by ensuring that there is not an INB present usually by cleaning off fallen leaves on the lawn, reducing thatch, ensuring a proper height of grass and trying to prevent early snow piles on the lawn, this allows the soil to reduce temperatures.


There are chemicals that can be put down to kill fungus from building and links are below as they can change. Generally, chemicals only work by being applied before the snow falls and possibly once more in the winter.


How do I get rid of snow mold? How do I help my grass recover from snow mold? The biggest thing you can do is to rake out your lawn allowing the fungus to be removed, it allows the grass to open up and breath and allows the sunlight to work it’s way in.


Some chemical labels do say they assist in killing the fungus, often referred to as fungicides, please read the label for direction we do want to say most researchers have stated that it has minimal effect in removing the fungus. In general, rake out the spots once you see them and be prepared to over seed.


References used:
Dr Minner, Iowa state university Snow Molds on Turf- [ Ссылка ]
Dr Steve Millett University of Wisconsin Madison - Dr Tom Hsiang University of Guelph, Ontario - Dr Naoyuki Matsumoto NIAES Japan - Biology and Management of Typhula Snow Molds of Turfgrass
[ Ссылка ]
Dr Jenifer Huang McBeath, University of Alaska Fairbanks - Snow mold: Winter turf grass nemesis [ Ссылка ]
Dr Paul Vincelli and Dr Greg Munshaw, University of Kentucky - Chemical Control of Turfgrass Diseases 2014
[ Ссылка ]
Dr Frank Williams - verbal conversation
Pictures from: USU Extension
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Mark Clayton and Lorenzo Lopez






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