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Potential Snow Mold Problems This Spring in Elmore County?
As with any organism on our planet, cool season turfgrasses may also experience potential infections, diseases or problems from naturally occurring pathogens in the environment. Turfgrasses established in home landscapes, parks and/or golf courses are susceptible to a pathogen and fungal disease known as snow mold. It’s important to recognize the Disease Triangle (Figure 1) when identifying and using management tactics regarding snow mold infections in turfgrass landscapes.
There are two main types of snow mold that infect and persist in Idaho turfgrass: 1) gray snow mold (Typhula spp.), and 2) pink snow mold (Microdochium nivale). Both types of snow mold may infect all cool-season turfgrass species, which are the majority of turfgrasses established within Elmore County. Though pink snow mold may infect turfgrasses, the majority of infections and diseases in Elmore County are from gray mold infections. Management of both types of snow mold will be addressed later within this article.