I was watching the local Fargo-Moorhead news the other night and became interested in a story on both prevention and tips to get rid of  mold that grows underneath the snow, on top of grass, during the winter months.  It caught my attention because like many other home owners in the Red River Valley, I have noticed an increase in the amount of snow mold on my grass this spring. Snow mold, which is a fungus, looks like a layer of cobwebs, or fine cotton strands, which form a covering on the grass. According to the story, we tend to have more of this mold due to a wet fall.

I did a little more research on this subject, because I  know we will have to try to get rid of it, and as much as I would like to report that this is a quick and easy fix… it’s not. It will take some hard work and extra elbow grease to get rid of this fungus. The best way to attack it in the spring is get some work gloves and a good rake and work over the troubled spots. It is recommended that you wait until the weather is at least 50 degrees and the ground has had a chance to dry out a bit.

While snow mold can be eliminated with some hard work in the spring, the best time to prevent it is in the fall. According to the NDSU website, you shouldn’t fertilize your lawn between mid-July and mid-September. Fertilization done at the end of September will still promote turf root development, but won’t stimulate lush growth of the blades and won’t promote snow mold. Late July and August fertilization can actually increase the amount of snow mold, especially if November comes with a lot of snow.  Snow molds develop more readily when thick mats of grass are buried in the snow. Keep your grass short, but not shorter than normal, and leaves raked in the fall. If you follow these preventative steps you will probably see a decrease in the amount of snow mold on your grass in the spring. If anyone has any other suggestions on how to get rid of the snow mold, please let me know.

For more information about events and topics for the Fargo-Moorhead area, check out the Directory of Fargo-Moorhead website.