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What is snow mold and how do I know if I have it?

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Be on the lookout for snow mold. This is especially true in areas that received a lot of snow that fell on unfrozen turf. The recent warm weather is rapidly melting the snow, which sets up the perfect conditions for snow mold development. Snow mold can appear on almost any turfgrass and in most parts of the country, but is more common in the Midwest. Snow mold appears as a cottony mass growing across the tips of the grass blades. If it has a pinkish cast, it is Pink Snow Mold. If it has a grayish or white-ish cast, it is Gray Snow Mold. Both types produce similar symptoms, although Gray Snow Mold often forms more of a circular pattern. Both are more of a cosmetic problem than one that will lead to significant turf injury. Disease control applications applied now will do little to control the disease. Those applications need to be applied before the disease develops. Unless Snow Mold appears year after year, disease control applications are usually not required. Lightly rake the area to break up the matted grass and new grass will grow into the damaged areas.