Gardening in the snow?

5 things to do now for your garden

  
  All the Valentine flowers make us yearn for spring - but our yards are still bleak.

If the gardener in you just needs to get outside do something, here are five things you can do now to get your garden ready for spring.

1. Compost. If you didn't work compost into the soil last fall, throw fresh compost over the garden - even if it's snow covered. It will settle over the soil and you can work it in right before planting.

2. Get going on seed. You can plant cool season crops as soon as the ground can be tilled (March, April). So have your seed ready. Find a local garden center from the link at the right or order seed online or from catalogs.

3. Select your crops. Carrots, spinach, lettuce, beets, green onions, radishes, pak choi and peas are veggies to plant soon.

4. Plan what grows where. Rotating veggie placement each year is a good practice in order to avoid insects and diseases that can overwinter in the soil and attack specific veggies. They are more threatening if debris was not cleaned out of the garden last the fall. Tomatoes and corn are crops to move to a new place each year.

5. Before planting, rototill or hand till the ground to work in the compost bepore planting.

Want to really jump start the garden? After working the soil, place black plastic over it. This will warm up the soil and give 2-3 weeks head start on growing. Pinch holes in the plastic to plant seeds. The plastic can be left as mulch during the growing season.

And if your sweat heart is a gardener, tuck some seed packets into your Valentine card!



Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

Got The Scoop On Your Dirt?

Good soil and good seeds make a garden grow

 Experienced gardeners know that the quality of veggies you get out of the ground is directly related to what you put in it.

Use seed tape for uniform spacing.


Everything that happens down in that dirt is what makes plants grow--or not! So starting from the ground up, get the real scoop on your soil--and then the seeds.

Check your dirt
If you don't know the kind of soil you have, your growing efforts may not bring the best results. Having low organic matter in the range of less than 1 per cent is typical in Colorado. So to get soil to the desired range of 3 to 5 per cent organic matter, you will most likely need to amend the soil.

Before adding amendments, however, get a soil test to learn what you really need to add. A soil test (available from Colorado State University for much less than $50) gives important information about the PH of the soil, salt content, amount of organic matter and the content of several minerals like nitrogen.

The CSU soil test kit tells how to submit your soil sample. Results arrive in a few weeks and you don't have to be a scientist to understand them. When you know what your soil needs, you can go about adding it.

Sort out the seeds
Planting old seeds that don't germinate can cost you two to three weeks of outdoor growing time before you know the seeds have failed and you need to replant. That's time you don't want to lose in Colorado's growing season. Check expiration dates on seed bags from past seasons and toss expired seeds.

Can you use seeds harvested from last year's garden? The next generation of seeds from hybridized plants is generally less reliable than the fresh seeds you can buy. Also, as plants cross-pollinate with other garden plants, the mixed-up results land in the seeds--and the next season's plants. Consequently, this year's veggies may look a lot different than last year's.

Seed planting tips
Plant seeds in garden rows that run east to west. The east/west orientation gives the sunniest advantage for your crop and more even plant growth.


Use seed tape to speed up planting and get uniform spacing. You can find these seeds in bags similar to loose seeds at garden centers. Seeds come pre-attached to a paper tape so all you have to do is run the tape down the row and cover it with soil. Within a few days, the tape disintegrates and the seeds germinate.


Plant seeds for your early season crop of cool season veggies--like spinach, lettuce, carrots--before the end of April.

Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

Heading out this weekend?

Weather this week reminds us that we're at the jumping off point for another glorious season outdoors. We're deciding what to plant-more veggies, splashier annuals, more perennials for longer lived color.


Before we get busy and just go plant something, we need to pull back. Think big picture.

What do you want your landscape, your balcony, your front porch, your patio, your curb appeal to do for YOU? Where does your landscape meet your life and how can you make it better?

If your outdoor space is where you want to live (or want to live more) in the warm months, do everything you can to make it friendly for you, your family, your guests.

• Do you need an expanded lawn area for little soccer players to kick the ball around?
• Has the dog worn trails across the grass that need to be remedied?
• Would an outdoor food prep area make entertaining easier?
• If you added some color and greenery to your patio, would that draw you outdoors more?
• Could a real fire pit create a gathering place for the teenagers you'd like to keep closer to home?

Answering these questions is all about having a plan and in the landscaping world, we call that plan a landscape design. The design relates to how we want to live in our landscape in a very pragmatic way. It incorporates the details that make the pet happy, cater to the kids, create privacy and drive the outdoor ambiance we want to enjoy.

On the practical side, a new design can be a problem-solver. Creating the big picture perspective for your space (even a very small one) will also point out problem areas that could be solved. Screening off the AC unit or solving a drainage problem by the downspouts isn't as much fun as adding a fire pit. But solving those problems along the way will help your state of mind and safeguard your property.

This weekend, if you're out planting carrot seeds or pushing petunias into pots, get a fresh take on how you want your landscape to meet up with your life.




Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

Ready to plant something?

Carrots can be planted now.

Countdown to growing season!


This weekend the weather was warm. Daylight savings time began. And it's just 7 days until spring. Must be about time to plant something--and it is!
Right about mid-March is when we can plant those cool season veggies. Here are some choices you can start planting now:

• Early lettuce, like bibb
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Sugar snap peas or other peas that mature early.

Once these veggies are harvested in about mid-May, the garden can be re-planted with warm season crops--like broccoli, cauliflower, small cabbage and peas. When that crop is harvested around mid-July, that garden plot can again be planted with a repeat of the cool-season varieties. At that time, you can also add green onions and early-maturing snap beans. These plants should mature and be ready to harvest before the early fall frost.

When planting three successive crops, the key to pulling it all off in about six months is in counting the days to maturity--in other words, the time it takes for the seed to mature and yield vegetables ripe enough to pick.

Iceberg lettuce is generally 60 days from planting to harvest. Bibb lettuce matures in about 46 days--but the crop can be thinned out as early as 28 days. In Colorado's growing season, selecting varieties that mature more quickly, like bibb over iceberg, is what makes those three successive crops possible.

How do you know days to maturity? Check the back of the seed packet. The label will have valuable planting information and that includes days to maturity for the seeds inside.

And don't forget to plant some color! We're still about two months out for planting petunias and all the other annuals. But pansies can be planted as long as they have been hardened off to be accustomed to being outdoors. If you cover them with fabric when temps get below freezing, pansies can be planted either in pots or in the ground.

Pansies are Mother Nature's gift of early spring here in Colorado. They are the early flowers of the season that help us survive until we can go wild planting all those wonderful annuals!




Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

Ambiance after Dark

The love of being outdoors lures us to drift from afternoon to evening to night-time enjoyment of our patios and backyards. That's partly because outdoor living resonates with our primal needs to connect with nature that get thwarted as we fight for space on the freeway and work in hermitically sealed offices.


At the end of the day, that lounge chair on the patio by the pot of petunias is ever so inviting. And when we can stretch late-day relaxation into the night-time hours, it's all the better.

But if your patio or deck is well lit and the rest of your yard is pitch dark, you know that uncomfortable feeling of sitting in light while being surrounded by darkness. The cozy ambiance of soft lighting and candles where you relax is simply undone by the darkness that stretches beyond. That can feel a little creepy.

The solution, of course, is to add more light--but not too much and not too bright. Adding light to outdoor living areas has to be done strategically and with subtlety.

Lighting up interesting areas of the yard makes the whole landscape more enjoyable after dark--and it cures that uneasy feeling of being surrounded by total darkness. Adding better light to the area by the grill means more food prep can be done outdoors and that's also a convenience factor with fewer steps back and forth to the kitchen.

Outdoor lighting is one of the more recent bells and whistles for landscaped areas--but it's also one of the most affordable options. It can be installed cost-effectively in a new yard and it can also be retrofitted later for not much more expense.

If you're thinking about lighting up the night around your home this season, think about security and safety as well as atmosphere. Notice whether people can see your address clearly at night, whether the sidewalk--and especially steps--are well lit. Outdoor lighting increases home security and it's one of the top items on the list for curb appeal to consider if your home is about to go on the market.




Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

Need fresh ideas for your landscape?

Find inspiration for your landscape

Whether it's more Zen or more zing your landscape needs, you can find fresh ideas from ALCC's Excellence in Landscape Awards. This year's awards competition showcases the best designs, installations and maintenance projects throughout Colorado--and the photo gallery of recent recipients can inspire you for the outdoor season that's just weeks ahead.

Here are five fresh ideas from these award-winning landscapes that you might want to consider:


• Small spaces can be amazing places for outdoor living. A high-rise balcony or townhome backyard offer great possibilities. Or for an expansive yard, tucking a small living area into an inconspicuous space can make a cozy retreat.

• Outdoor lighting adds security, curb appeal and evening drama around a home.

• There's nothing like annual flowers for outdoor pizzazz. From new spins on traditional designs to exotic flower combos, annuals remain the number one outdoor fashion statement.

• Edibles are in and should not be segregated from the rest of the yard. Carefully placed combos of flowers and veggies not only ward off pests, but bring new visual interest to planting beds.

• Perennials are the newest trend for landscape value. Because they keep coming back year after year, perennial plants are the sought-after landscape investment for the long term. Seasoned gardeners know this--and others are catching on fast to this great outdoor value.


Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

Why buy new seeds?

SEEDS--the miracle of Mother Nature
 
It's mystery and nature's own magic how those small specs and dots fall into the earth and before you know it, spinach, lettuce, herbs, carrots, zucchini, pumpkins and radishes are all over the place.
Spring planting is just around the corner, so now is the time to sort out the old seeds and order new ones.

Can I use last season's left-over seeds?
While some plant varieties will produce seeds that will last for centuries, they are generally the exception. Anasazi beans collected from the cliff dwellings in southwestern Colorado that were planted soon after discovery were good to grow.
Beans, grain and corn are generally longer-lived than other plants--but their hybridized versions we use predominately today don't have a prolonged shelf-life. Best rule of thumb is to check the expiration date on old seed bags and toss expired seeds.

If you have left-over seeds from past seasons that are questionable, you can check them out with a pre-season germination test. Plant a couple seeds of each variety indoors now in a sand/peat mix. If they don't germinate, don't waste your time with them later outdoors.
Planting old seeds that don't germinate can cost you two to three weeks of outdoor growing time before you know the seeds failed and you need to replant. That's time you don't want to lose in Colorado's growing season.

Can I use seeds harvested from last year's garden?

The next generation of seeds from hybridized plants is generally less reliable than the fresh seeds you can buy. Also, as plants cross-pollinate with other garden plants, the mixed-up results land in the seeds.
For example, if you plant seeds from last year's huge pumpkin that grew next to the zucchini, the fruit that grows this year from those seeds may be a surprise. It may not look anything like last year's prize pumpkin. That's part of the magic that matters when you select seeds.

What about heirlooms?

Heirloom varieties are the old-favorite plants that go back many years, some to Colonial days. Heirlooms have been collected and maintained for generations and have not been hybridized. These seeds can be collected for future seasons and will remain true to the original plant as long as they have not cross-pollinated with another variety in the garden. To keep heirlooms going from plant to seed to plant, season after season, keep them isolated from non-heirlooms.

How much and when to order?

For most home gardeners, one or two seed packets per variety are all you'll need. To have the best selection in seeds, place your order soon. Popular varieties will sell out, so be an early bird if you want to catch the best seed.




Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

Pet Friendly Landscape Tips

When it comes to pets and the yard, it will be easier to keep pets out of the proverbial dog house if you do a few things to accommodate their needs and to eradicate ongoing problems.  

Even a small water feature will cool pets on hot days.

Cool pets with a water feature.

• Most people think that water features are anything but pet-friendly and worry about having both pets and a water feature in their yard. In reality, water features are good for dogs.
• Water features provide an ongoing source of drinking water, but you need to use non-toxic cleaners in the water. Even a pond-less (stream like) feature will provide the water a pet needs.
• They also allow dogs to cool their feet. Since dogs perspire through their feet, keeping their feet cool helps them cope with the heat of summer.
• Making sure dogs stay hydrated on hot days when you are away from home is a major challenge solved by a water feature. A pet-friendly feature requires a few design and maintenance considerations, but little to no more expense than any other water feature.

Deal with puddles.

• Sporting breeds instinctively dig when they see water, so the best solution is to eradicate low spots that become puddles and lead to muddy paw prints across the floor.
• Short term fixes are as easy as placing rocks or bricks in holes and depressions. Swampy and puddle areas due to low spots in the yard or drainage problems should be dealt with by re-grading for the long-term solution.

Create shade.

• Female dogs, especially, like to nest and will dig a nest in cool places next to foundations. In wet weather, the nesting area holds water that can lead to foundation problems. This is one reason why dogs need to be encouraged to find shade in the right places.
• If there are few tree-shaded areas encourage dogs to seek shade by giving access to the north and east sides of the house or by making other shaded areas like the space underneath a trampoline accessible.

Beware of dangers on decks.

• Sadly, many dog owners have learned what dangerous places decks can be for their pets who have suffered heat strokes and other mishaps by being confined to the deck in hot weather. Dark wood decking gets extremely hot and wood decking often has painful splinters if not sanded regularly.
• If you are building or replacing a deck, consider a more pet-friendly choice if your pets will spend any time on the deck. One made of recycled products like Trex in a light, reflective color will be cooler and less maintenance than wood. Decks from recycled products are also splinter-free.

Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

Vining plants like squash grow best planted from seed 

Time to plant more veggies!

It's been 4-6 weeks since most gardeners planted the first crop of veggies--like lettuce, mustard greens, carrots, onions and radishes--that can be planted early. These plants are all getting a good start on the growing season and some can be harvested soon.

When these veggies are picked, where's the replacement? That needs to get going right away by planting a second crop of cool season veggies. And since we're moving into summer, those cool season veggies would thrive best if planted in a somewhat shaded location.



Sequential plantings during the summer will ensure a consistent harvest for months. You might be able to go all season long without having to buy a head of lettuce!

It's also time to plant warm season veggies

Now that the weather and soil are warming up, get the warm season veggies growing. Some varieties are best to grow from seed, such as corn, squash, cucumber, pumpkins and melons.

A general rule of thumb is that any vine-like plant in the squash family should be started from seed as these plants don't transplant well. In fact, plants like pumpkin started in the garden from seed will actually catch up in size to a transplanted one.

Vegetable plants started indoors that can be transplanted easily include tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower and many herbs.

Before you buy

Look at the root system of plants. If roots look or smell moldy, don't buy the plant. Also, check for insects by brushing against the plant. If you see white flies, don't buy the plant as these flies are difficult to deal with--and they are very common on veggies.

White fly deterrent: nasturtium--the annual flower--is a deterrent to white flies. Plant nasturtium with your veggies and harvest the flowers to toss into your salads. These flowers are edible and add a peppery flavor!

Tips for tomatoes:

Proper support for tomatoes improves exposure to sunlight and helps protect against breakage in strong winds. Use staking material or metal tomato cages for support.

Pruning tomato plants can double the harvest. Pruning away the lowest branches gets more sunlight onto the soil and promotes better plant growth and yield. As the tomato plant grows, continually prune away the lowest branches. For large plants, you can remove up to 18 inches of the lowest branches.



Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

Sustainable lawncare is as easy as mowing the lawn!

Reduce, reuse, recycle is the sustainability mantra and it pays off for your lawn when you cut the grass with a mulching mower.

Here are some facts about grass clippings:

• 1,000 square feet of bluegrass lawn generates about 200 pounds of clippings each year.  
• Yard waste makes up 20 percent of all debris sent to land fills.  
• Hauling yard waste to landfills is labor, energy and emissions intensive.
• A mulching mower solves these problems by cutting up all the clippings as you mow and depositing them on top of the lawn.

Not only does mulching stop waste, it turns clippings into a green by-product that makes the lawn healthier.

Clippings left on the grass provide additional shade and green matter that helps keep moisture in the soil. Clippings are actually about 75 percent water.

Mulching is a water-saving process. If you change to a mulching mower, be sure to decrease the amount of water from what you've usually applied to the lawn. In some cases, this can be as much as half the amount. Monitor soil moisture and the weather and adjust accordingly.

Clippings are nitrogen-rich and will provide 25-30 percent of the nitrogen needs for the lawn. Since nitrogen is the primary ingredient in fertilizer, that means you will need less fertilizer to achieve the same results.

Clippings break down rather quickly and that process encourages beneficial microorganisms and earthworms which also promote lawn health.

  

Mowing tip: Unfortunately, many people sharpen their mower blade in the spring and forget about it the rest of the mowing season. Be good to your grass and sharpen the blade about once a month. A dull blade actually tears the blades of grass and can open the way to disease and other health issues. Keep the blade sharp--and keep mulching!
 
 
 
Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

PLANET Day of Service

PLANET Day of Service is Underway!


FLM has teamed up with ALCC and other landscape contractors in Northern Colorado to coordinate the Northern Colorado Chapter Day of Service. By being part of PLANET's Day of Service, a nationwide volunteer effort, we are giving back to the community in which we live and work in, while encouraging participation from our industry. We will update soon with news and photos about our project at the Larimer County Food Bank!
 
HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Welcome Springtime!

Bulbs planted last fall are the early taste of spring.


Spring's eruption in sensational color is a jolt to the senses. Wow! It's all around us--up in the pear trees, down in the tulips and grape hyacinths and at eye level in the forsythia.

The gift of spring is way and above what the other seasons have to offer. Spring color is our reward for making it through yet another Colorado winter. So savor it, smell it, indulge in its sheer bliss.

Also, be thankful to Mother Nature who knows, just like all good mothers, that too much of a good thing is a spoiler. She lets us have dessert first, but then moves us through the seasons to a more refined diet.

Her strategy is smart because the burst of spring wets our appetites to get outside and motivates us to plant.

So if we're going to plant, we need to think about what those plants will be. What do we want to see growing around us and enjoy during the other seasons? What plants will thrive in the sizzle of summer? What should we plant now to give us the subdued shades of fall? What will enhance the cold subtleties of winter?

To help you explore some of the options, ALCC offers a new photo gallery, Plants for All Seasons, where you can find ideas for plants that will colorize your landscape all year long. We are grateful to Colorado State University and Plant Select for sharing plants they have developed that are so very suitable for Colorado's growing conditions and that require minimal water. These are plants to spiff up and round out any landscape.

One month from now, we'll be planting petunias. Two months from now, we can plant anything. Between now and then, enjoy spring and decide what you'll plant this year to enhance your outdoor world.

Photo courtesy Lauren Bloom, Colorado Concrete and Landscape.

Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide.
Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC.

Time to Plant!

Time to plant!
As soon as you can work the soil, you can plant. And that could be as early as this weekend if your soil is ready. If not, have your planting plan and compost ready so that you can get started at the first opportunity.

Plant some color

Nothing says spring like pansies. As long as they are hardened off (accustomed to being outside) and covered up when temps are below freezing, they can be planted in pots or in the ground. Overnight, place pots where they are protected and in temps below 32 degrees, cover pansies with fabric (not plastic).

Veggies--maximize production by sequencing
For most veggie yield, set aside one area of the garden that will have three successive crops you will be harvesting from late April into September. This area of the garden won't have tomatoes or cucumbers or pumpkins that require dedicated space for a long growing season.

Your "sequencing" garden will have series of three different crops that are planted and harvested three successive times. Plant an early season crop followed by a warmer season crop and a final repeat of the cool season crop.

The key to this rotation is in the variety of plants selected. Look for varieties of each vegetable that require the fewest days from planting to maturity. For example, iceberg lettuce generally takes 60 days from planting til harvest. But bibb lettuce can be picked in 46 days and thinned to pick as "baby bibb" at about 28 days. To get three successive plantings, bibb is the better choice because as soon as this crop has been harvested, you can start the next crop.

What to plant when

Crop #1 - Cool season veggies - plant mid-March
By selecting early-maturing varieties and depending on the weather, these veggies will have completed their cycle by around early May. A cooler spring may extend the standard days to maturity.

· Early lettuce, like bibb
· Radishes
· Spinach
· Carrotts
· Sugar snap peas or other peas that mature early


Crop #2 - Warm season veggies - plant early May
For the second crop, you may want to start from small plants rather than seeds. When they have matured and been harvested, there will still be time for one more crop.

· Broccoli
· Cauliflower
· Small cabbage
· Peas

Crop #3 - Cool season veggies - plant mid-July
Repeat your favorites from Crop #1 and also add green onions and early maturing snap beans. Even though you plant in July when it's hot, cooler days and especially, cooler nights are just around the corner in August. This last crop should thrive in these conditions and give one last harvest before the fall frost.


Photos courtesy Burpee Seed.

Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide.
Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC.

Snow Mold on Colorado Front Range lawns

Gray snow mold, caused by the fungus Typhula incarnate can occur on many Front Range lawns. Snow mold occurs during periods of prolonged snow cover, but can also occur where leaves and other debris have accumulated on lawns during the fall and winter. North-facing lawns, shaded lawns and areas where snowplowing or drifting snow created especially deep snow will be most commonly affected.

The fungus is active in moist lawns at temperatures just above freezing. Circular patches (6-12 inches) will have a moldy appearance when fungus is actively growing - usually just as the snow melts. Under severe conditions, these smaller patches may grow together to form large, matted areas that appear to be dead. As the lawn begins to dry out the fungal growth slows. Patches can take on a light tan appearance, fading to light gray or white.

This disease rarely kills home bluegrass lawns, although young seedlings from a late fall seeding may be killed (fall sod will be OK).

Fungicide applications are not recommended when snow mold occurs in a home lawn. Spring fungicide applications will NOT effectively control or prevent the disease, nor will fungicide use hasten spring turf recovery.

The best way to speed recovery is to remove dead and matted material by light raking to promote air circulation and drying. Light spring nitrogen fertilization (especially if no fertilizer was applied the previous fall) will help speed the growth of new grass from the underground stems that are not harmed by the snow mold fungus. Lawns that appear slow to recover this spring will benefit from core cultivation, followed by over seeding with the same grass species already present in the lawn.

Contrary to popular belief, late-season fertilization (also referred to as "fall" or "winterizer" fertilization) neither encourages snow mold nor increases its severity. In fact, late-season/fall fertilization will encourage more rapid healing and recovery when lawns are afflicted with snow mold.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1543.html