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Moldy lawn? Help your grass survive snow mold fungus

4/21/2015

Is your grass not looking quite like it did last spring? Even though it’s still early spring, and it takes a while for your turf to come back to life, you may notice that your lawn is much more barren than it typically is this time of year. You may have snow mold fungus affecting all or some areas of your lawn.

The record snowfall we had in Massachusetts combined with such cold temperatures that prevented melting in between storms, created a blanket that kept our lawns dark and wet for an exceptionally long time. As the snow finally melts across the south shore, snow mold fungus is apparent in grass.

Since the sun has not had a chance to dry out grass until now and grass may also have folded over on itself, it’s been difficult for air and light to circulate through your grass. These are likely spots where mold developed. The area might just have bare patches, or you may see white or gray fuzz.

At this point it’s still hard to tell if some or all of your grass may survive. There is no treatment or chemical to put on the mold to make this mold go away. The best thing you can do to help your grass survive is rake your yard to break up any matted grass and encourage air and light to penetrate. Anywhere you’ve piled up more snow is particularly where you’ll want to rake.

Once you notice weeds start to pop up, that’s an indication that the ground temperature is warm enough for fertilizer. You can use a fertilizer to help your grass, and you’ll likely need to re-seed affected areas. If you have issues or concerns, give us a call at Gardenin’ Angels!

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Landscape recovery: spring landscaping after a bad winter

4/8/2015

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This past winter was one of the hardest winters on record for the northeast. Consistently low temperatures and record-breaking snowfall amounts wreaked havoc on our properties. To recover from the perils and tension of the winter season, we need close and careful landscape care this spring. Here are some suggestions to improve the appearance and health of your outdoor space.

Remove winter debris
Remove any fallen tree limbs, trash, leaves and dead plants from your yard. You may even still have piles of snow to be removed from your lawn. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one! Shovel some of this snow off of your lawn and onto a driveway or sidewalk or other area off of your turf. The quicker you can expose your lawn to dry air and sunshine, the better. Grass gets compacted under objects and inhibits the growth of new grass. So, remove any rocks or shovels or other objects that have collected on your lawn over the winter.

Trim trees and shrubs
Many shrubs do grow wildly during late fall and even the early the winter season. Shrubs, plants and small trees also get broken limbs and branches that should be removed. Spring is the time to trim your most shrubs and some trees neatly for ideal growth.

Cut and dethatch your lawn
Dethaching your lawn is a process to remove dead grass to allow new grass to replenish for a healthier, greener lawn. You can use a rake to remove all waster and thatch buildup, there are also dethatching tools for this process. It can take your lawn a few weeks to recover from dethatching before you start to see fresh grass renew. If your existing grass is dry and clean of waste and thatch, you can go ahead and mow your lawn.

While many folks like to get outside in the sunshine after a long, cold winter, some homeowners are just not interested in or capable of completing yard work successfully. Give Gardenin’ Angels a call to provide a spring cleanup for your property.

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Moldy lawn? Help your grass survive snow mold fungus

Landscape recovery: spring landscaping after a bad winter

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