Moldy lawn? Help your grass survive snow mold fungus

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!