Home ▸ Lawn Care Guide ▸ Lawn Disease ▸ Snow Mould
Snow Mould
Seasonal Problems: Recovering from Snow Mould – A legacy of the long cold winter
Although we don’t often get prolonged snow coverage in the UK, lawns can still suffer from snow mould which, despite the name, can also develop in cool and humid conditions during Autumn and Spring. It does often get worse when there is snow coverage, as the lawn stays moist for extended periods and the problem isn’t identified until the snow melts away. A blanket of snow means there is no air circulation across the lawn and combined with it keeping the lawn moist, means that it is prime conditions for fungus to grow.
Snow Mould is a mycelium fungus that attacks the leaf and crown of lawn turf whilst snow is melting. It is similar to fusarium patch and causes the grass to die back in patches but can also have a white and matted appearance.
There are no chemical treatments available for fungal diseases and the best means of prevention is improving the overall health of your grass and taking steps to improve drainage of the lawn to avoid it sitting damp. The following steps may help.
- A heavy layer of thatch can stop moisture penetrating deep into the soil, remaining near the surface, and providing perfect conditions for fungal growth. Include scarification as part of your lawn regime to avoid this.
- Regular aeration helps reduce compaction which will allow moisture to travel through quicker and encourage air circulation to help prevent the lawn sitting soggy.
- Cut back any overhanging hedges or shrubs to allow more light to the lawn, again this will help it dry out quicker.
- Use a low nitrogen fertiliser in the Autumn to avoid excessively lush growth over Winter which may become susceptible to disease. A fertiliser higher in potassium and phosphorus is beneficial to encourage strong root development over Autumn/ Winter.
- Don’t leave grass clippings or leaves on the lawn, as this organic material is prime food for fungus and can encourage it to grow.
- Avoid walking across infected areas where possible, as you can transfer spores across the garden to areas that may have been previously unaffected.
In many cases lawns should recover during the spring as temperatures rise but it will be necessary to rake out the dead/diseased grass so that the affected patches can recover. In severe cases aeration and over seeding will assist recovery.
How to repair a lawn following disease?
If your lawn has been badly damage by disease it may need some form or renovation such as scarifying, aeration and over-seeding.