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As the many inches of snow from this winter slowly melt away, many of you will be looking at your turf and wondering what happened.
The first thing that may be noticeable are those mounds of soil all over. The most likely culprit will be moles. Moles do not hibernate during the winter, but burrow further down in the soil searching for insects. As they travel downward, they need to remove excess soil from their runs - thus the little mounds all over your yard. The easiest solution is to rake up that soil and remove it from your turf (you will never be able to get that soil back into the ground).
As the soil temperature rises, so will the moles. This is the time when you can determine whether you have an Eastern Mole or a Star-nosed Mole. An Eastern Mole will start making the raised ridge in your lawn, while the Star-nosed Mole will still be depositing little mounds of soil in your yard. Once you have determined which type of mole is in your yard, you can make a plan of attack. I will write more about moles in future Turf Tips, but would like to leave you with one thought: Grub control products will not eliminate moles from your lawn, as their primary food source is earthworms. As with all pesticides, please read and follow label directions.
The second most noticeable thing you may see in your lawn this spring is irregularly-shaped patches of turf that are sunken or flat and can run together. What you probably have is the fungus we call snow mold. Sunken areas may look white, gray or pinkish. Typically the fungus attacks the leaf blades but will not kill the crown of the plant. A light raking to "fluff up" the grass and remove dead tissue is usually all that is needed to help your lawn recover. If after raking you are left with just bare soil, then some re-seeding will be necessary
Other damage you may notice will be little runways of missing turf. This may be from voles or shrews, who will chew off grass blades and make their runs underneath the snow. Typically a light raking to remove the turf debris is all that is needed.
Another item for those of you who live along busy roads and receive a lot of dirt and salt thrown on your lawn - you will want to clean those areas up thoroughly. With a lot of salt being plowed up on these areas it may be a good idea to have your soil pH tested to see if some lime may be needed.
Finally, thanks for visiting the web site. If you have other questions or concerns please contact us. Watch for other turf tips as we go through the season. |
