Early Spring Lawn Care Means Cleaning Winter's Mess

NEW ROCHELLE, NY – At the risk of jinxing, it looks as though the Hudson Valley may have finally emerged on the other side of winter. Unfortunately, though, all the sunshine and budding trees in the world just can’t seem to cover up that glaring evidence all over our lawns of our recent winter that stretched well into the official start of spring.

According to information provided by Neave Lawn Care, a local landscaping company with offices in Wappingers Falls and Briarcliff Manor, on its website, the end of winter and the beginning of early spring can bring about several “common lawn diseases” on our properties. One of them is snow mold, indicated by its “circular straw-colored patches” giving the grass “a matted appearance” that somewhat resembles a grey mold material. Snow mold appears on grass in the early spring as snow melts away from the lawn, and “typically” isn’t fatal to the grass.

Neave's website says the moldy grass will repair itself on its own, but those tending it can quicken the healing process by doing some light raking on the damaged areas. The company does advise, however, that you rake the snow mold gently since “aggressive raking can kill the grass.”

Another common lawn disease that tends to crop up in early spring, the company said, is powdery mildew, which makes the lawn appear as though it’s been dusted with a white powdery substance. Powdery mildew can be prevented by avoiding excessive watering and fertilizing, as well as pruning tree limbs to bring more light and air into the affected area – but if the problem persists, the grass may need to be removed, Neave noted.

Red thread and pink patch are two lawn diseases that usually occur in tandem, Neave noted, and they range in appearance from a thick gelatinous substance to a threadlike fungus. These diseases appear during “extended periods of damp, drizzly, overcast conditions” much like the weather patterns that accompany early spring, and treatment can be complicated. Nitrogen is usually the way to go, Neave wrote, but administering too close to summertime could spur other problems. It may be best to just leave this disease to an expert.

Neave noted that when it comes to tending a spring garden, timing is everything.

The company said although one can sympathize with the anxiousness to begin lawn work right away, "patience really is a virtue. When the time is right, we’re as happy as anybody to start nudging turf out of its winter slumber. If you start lawn care too early, you can actually do more harm than good.”

It’s best to wait until the soil has completely dried out before heavily walking on the lawn, let alone working on it, Neave noted.

Patch file photo