Most gardeners have put away their mowers for the rest of the year since winter is fast approaching, but there is one final job that needs to be done now to keep your lawn healthy.
Fusarium, also known as snow mould, is a fungal disease that spreads through moisture and is most common in November due to the constant damp weather.
Joe, a gardening expert and founder of Joe’s Lawn Care, has shared that fusarium can cause “serious harm” to a lawn and despite its nickname does not need snow to be a problem.
He said: “This disease starts to appear as the snow begins to melt away. But it doesn’t require snow to actually arise. And what’s worst of all, snow mould can actually keep thriving and spreading for as long as the weather stays cool and damp.”
This fungus can spread into the grass which makes it impossible for water and nutrients to reach the soil, which can damage the roots, greatly weaken it or even kill it over winter.
Snow mould often looks like small patches of yellow, grey or even pink-tinged grass that will eventually become brown if the grass is dying of the disease so be on the lookout for large discoloured patches quickly growing on your lawn.
If you think you have fusarium or wish to prevent it then do not panic as Joe has shared that this disease can go away on its own if the lawn is kept dry.
Joe said: “If you do find nasty fungal spots on your lawn in the spring, they’re usually not that serious, and a decent dollop of hot sunshine will dry your lawn out, greening up all those infected areas. The issue is, relying on the English weather, so here are some ways to control your snow mould problems.”
According to Joe, the “best thing” a gardener can do in November is help the lawn dry out “as fast as possible” during the rainy weather by taking the time to go over the lawn with a rack and pitchfork.
Scarifying, which is the act of removing dead moss from the surface of grass, and aeration, which is poking holes in the grass soil, helps more air reach the lawn so it remains dry.
Joe said: “By improving your lawn’s drainage abilities. Cue a combination of scarification and aeration, all of which improve drainage and airflow. This is something you can either do with a pitchfork or we can do with our specialised machinery depending on the size of your lawn and the extent of your problem.”
Both scarification and aeration are incredibly simple to do, but it is also important to pick up any dead autumn leaves on the ground as they can also release too much moisture onto the lawn.
Make sure to also go around the garden and cut back anything that casts too much shade in the garden as sunlight not being able to reach grass in the winter can also cause snow mould.
Joe said: “You can help improve the general airflow and sunlight your lawn gets by; pruning back any trees, branches and shrubs that may be overhanging and casting long shadows over your turfed area.
“Fewer shadows and less obstacles mean more sunlight and more wind, both of which will dry out your grass a lot quicker.”
Taking a few minutes each day in November to care for the lawn one final time makes sure this nasty disease stays far away from your lawn so you have healthier, thicker and greener grass next springtime.
