Yes, the snow has been melting with these unseasonable temperatures leaving us with some unpleasant surprises and I am not talking about the ones dog owners find. Seems the voles have been busy under the snow all over the place this winter. The above photos show the damage done by voles as they chew up the grass on their way from one place to another. If the plant was chewed down too deeply the grass will be dead. No worries, nothing a little reseeding can’t take care of. Once your yard dries out and firms up a bit simply rake out the dead grass. It is hard to say what the weather will do, but soil temperatures need to be closer to 65 degrees for grass seed to germinate. This is usually an April project so waiting a bit before seeding the damaged areas is probably the best choice at this point.
Another culprit showing up is snow mold, that icky looking fuzzy stuff. Snow mold is typically not going to cause any problems in most lawns. Allow the area to dry out after the snow is melted and gently rake. This will clear up the snow mold and help prevent further disease problems.
Stop in at Sargent’s Nursery with any of your lawn and spring garden questions and our staff will get you pointed in the right direction!