11/17/2023 - By Mike Hess

We’re well into the fall season now, rapidly approaching winter and snow mold pressure is picking up fast. Providing the proper prevention and sustained longevity of disease control for your turf is of utmost importance, and Harrell’s Snow Mold Control plan could be just the tool you need.

What is Snow Mold?

Snow mold is a cool-weather complex of diseases which develop primarily on cool-season grasses throughout the winter, however most damage may not be noticed until snow melt in the early spring. The causal fungi mainly begin growing in the fall with the onset of cooler temperatures but when the ground hasn’t completely frozen yet. Ample moisture, leaf debris, and slow growing turfgrass create a breeding ground for snow molds. There are two types:

1.            Gray snow mold (Typhula blight)

a.       Occurs under extended periods of snow cover (60+ days)

2.            And pink snow mold (Microdochium patch or Fusarium patch)

a.       Does not require snow cover for growth and proliferation

How to Spot Snow Mold

Snow mold will often appear after the snow melts in the spring, being revealed from under the heavy winter blanket, but can also appear in wet and cold seasons with minimal snow. The fungi will appear as gray or straw colored, circular patches that vary in size. Gray snow mold appears as more of a gray/white color while pink snow mold appears as a white/pink color and can be significantly more deadly than gray when it appears.

Controlling Snow Mold

Knock down snow mold for the count with Harrell's ProtectMAX® fungicides. The proven ProtectMAX® combination of fungicides delivers long-lasting control of even the toughest pink and gray snow molds, so you can protect your turf with confidence.

1 oz of ProtectMAX® Tebuconazole

Harrell’s ProtectMAX® Tebuconazole provides long-lasting curative and preventive control against tough Tyhphula species that cause gray snow mold throughout the winter.

2 oz ProtectMAX® Propiconazole

ProtectMAX® Propiconazole offers broad-spectrum, systemic disease control with particular efficacy on both gray and pink snow mold-causing pathogens.

3 oz ProtectMAX® Chlorothalonil 6L

Harrell's ProtectMAX® Chlorothalonil 6L is a flowable formulation that offers contact activity against pink and gray snow mold.

These product combinations work for any budget and have been tested across numerous university snow mold research programs. The ProtectMAX® 1, 2, 3 program is simple, effective, and affordable.

More Snow Mold Prevention

Harrell's ProtectMAX® Fluoxastrobin SC is the latest addition to the ProtectMAX line of plant protectants. This innovative fungicide offers enhanced movement within plants, broad-spectrum disease control, flexible use rates, and a wide range of application patterns, making it a go-to tool for maximizing turf and ornamental protection, with proven efficacy on snow molds. In situations where added “insurance” against snow mold is required, the inclusion of 0.4 fl oz of ProtectMAX® Fluoxastrobin to the 1, 2, 3 program is a great option.

Our Directors of Agronomy are always hard at work conducting trials to prove and perfect our products for protection against disease. One of our latest trials from Dr. Paul Giordano investigated snow mold control with Harrell’s ProtectMAX® products – the results are quite impressive, read more about it here.

Contact your Harrell’s Rep

If you have any questions on snow mold, control options, prevention, products mentioned, or how you can start your own ProtectMAX® protection program, your Harrell's Rep is a great resource that is always available to assist you.