Spring Through Fall
Summer
Fall Through Spring (Cold, Moist Conditions)
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Fall Through Spring (Cold, Moist Conditions)
TYPHULA BLIGHT(Gray Snow Mold): Strictly a cold-weather disease, Typhula blight appears where snow cover has melted, especially in areas where snow has drifted or been piled.

Look for: Irregular 2- to 24-inch patches of bleached-out, matted turf covered with moldy, grayish white mycelium. Tiny black or orange-brown spherical sclerotia (hard fungus bodies) may be observed imbedded in the leaves and crowns of infected plants.

Management: Avoid heavy nitrogen fertilization in late fall to allow new growth time to harden off before winter. Keep thatch to a minimum and grass height lower as winter begins. Avoid piling snow onto your lawn, and prevent compaction on important turf areas by limiting activity on them when they're covered with snow. Rake in early spring to promote drying and reduce matting. Provide a light spring fertilization if damage is present.

FUSARIUM PATCH (Pink Snow Mold): This disease develops from late fall to early spring during cool, moist, cloudy weather, with or without snow cover.

Look for: Small, light tan to rusty brown circular patches that may grow to 2 feet and become ringlike as interior grass regrows. When the grass is moist, salmon-colored mycelium is visible in sunlight. There are no sclerotia present.

Management: Fertilize in late fall, once grass growth ceases, with a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. Mow the lawn, keep thatch low, and don't allow leaves or debris to remain on the lawn over winter. Rake lawn well in early spring and follow with a light spring fertilization if damage is present.