Snow Mold

Yikes! What the heck happened to my lawn over the winter? The grass is all matted down and instead of a healthy, green color, it’s turned a sickly, grayish-tan, and unnatural pink. I have a few patches in my yard, but after a little research, I learned that it is a fungus called snow mold.

There are two types of snow molds: gray and pink. They each have unique characteristics, but for the average homeowner, you just need to know that they are psychrophilic (cold-loving) funguses and they thrive when snow provides a dark, humid environment. So, my snow mold problem most likely grew on my lawn, and maybe yours, because we got snow that built up on our yards and stayed around for a little while.

How do you fix it?
Fungicides are not typically recommended because most of the time the problem will correct itself. Instead, find all the affected areas of your lawn, gently rake the spaces, and remove all the dead and decaying matter. Give your lawn a modest application of fertilizer and it should bounce back. If you have a lot of damage, you may need to re-seed some patches in your lawn. Spring is a good time to re-grow grass and your lawn can be looking better before you know it.

How do you prevent snow mold in the future?
First, do not leave grass uncut at the end of the season and the final cutting, as grass becomes dormant, can be shorter to minimize matting. Also, avoid applying heavy nitrogen fertilizers late in the growing season. Once the snow begins to accumulate in your yard, remove or prevent snow build-up on grass, if possible. In spring or summer, check the amount of thatch in your lawn and consider de-thatching and/or aerating to remove thatch build-up and increase oxygen in your soil. Finally, adding some humus (compost) will help to build beneficial microbes and improve your overall soil and grass health moving forward.

Thankfully, snow mold is not a major issue to worry about. With proper autumn maintenance and the removal of snow when it comes during wintertime, you can avoid this issue in the future. But if you do get snow mold, simply address it in the spring and your lawn will bounce back.

Extending Your Tomato Harvest - the Great Tomato Ripening Experiment!

Results from the Great Tomato Ripening Experiment! It’s almost mid-January and I’m still enjoying tomatoes from the plants I grew this past summer. I just gathered a handful and made some tasty, fresh salsa to complement the vegan tacos I made for our dinner. So how is it that I’m still reaping the benefits of my garden? In late October/early November, I embarked on Grety’s Great Tomato Ripening Experiment. 

 

I asked all my friends on social media, “How do you extend the life of your (green) tomatoes?” For as many pounds as I still had on the vine, I got responses. The techniques were varied and came with a lot of guarantees. So, I put each method to the test. Most of the ideas required me using high-dollar real estate in the garage. I managed to claim a few square feet for the experiment.

The majority of green tomatoes came from my prolific, San Marzano plant but any tomato will work. I placed some in a plain, brown paper bag. Several friends swore by this method.

 Other friends told me, I should add a piece of fruit like a banana or an apple, into the bag. The theory is that the fruit releases ethylene, a chemical that will help green tomatoes ripen. So, I did one of each. I placed tomatoes in a single layer on paper.

I stacked them in several layers with heavy paper separating the produce. 

 I placed them along my windowsill near the kitchen.

 Lastly, I even took whole vines and hung them upside down from bicycles in the garage. 
 

By this time, my husband thought I’d lost it.

 With each method, I tried to leave on some of the stem of the tomato and I situated the San Manzanos so they didn’t touch one another. In an effort to not attract fruit flies, I washed each tomato before I placed them on the windowsill. I didn’t have any fruit fly problems.

In the end, the very best method was actually a combination of a few. The windowsill tomatoes ripened quickly. They still tasted garden-fresh and we used them in salads and such.

 The next two methods that have worked for me are the single layer and the stacking of single layers. It takes up more space than I would like, but my family has feasted on tomatoes, non-stop.

None of the bag methods really worked for me—nor did hanging the vines from the bikes. Those tomatoes dried up before they were finally ripened. I should add, that the tomatoes I’m using in January aren’t as flavorful as the ones that ripened in November. But, I’ll guarantee you they are better than the plum or Roma tomatoes available at local markets. They are delicious in salsas or pan roasted for sauces and soups.

I’m sure tomato variety and garage temperature play a large role in success rates of ripening green tomatoes. But, I’ve concluded that I won’t let any more produce wither on the vine. From now on, every year when October rolls around, I’ll be clearing a spot in the garage to continue reaping the benefits of my summer’s labors.

DIY Seed Tape

There's nothing like a little garden prep, during our lead up to the growing season. If you're longing to get your hands in the soil-but it's still frozen, this is the next best thing. Launch into your garden prep by making your own seed tape.

This is my technique to achieving picture-perfect rows of lettuce, carrots, and beets, while being thrifty. Plus, the work you do now will have you proudly grinning from ear-to-ear come harvest time.

You can purchase seed tape at garden centers and online. It will organize your garden into beautiful, neighbor-enviable rows. But, seed tape can be expensive.  Solution? Make your own.

What you will need is, cheap toilet paper ( see-through, 1-ply offerings). A Dollar Store may have the right stuff, too.

You'll also need fresh seed for cold weather crops. Right now, garden centers have a plentiful supply of several brands of cool weather crop seed, i.e: carrots, spinach, lettuce, beets, etc.

Use some Elmer's School Glue or mix a paste out of flour and water to the consistency of glue. Both are non-toxic and just a tiny dab works. Grab some scissors and a popsicle stick or paint brush to dab your paste.
Use a tape measure, as well. Measure the space in the garden where you plan to place the seed tape. I cut my TP in strips, right down the middle, making them long enough to fit perfectly in my garden box. I follow the directions on the package for spacing and start "gluing." Once I get the glue and seed on the TP, I fold over the remaining TP and voila! I have seed tape ready to plant, as soon as I can work the soil. Be sure to label it.

Generally, I do this project in the dead of winter. This little gardening activity gets me excited for what is to come. A word of caution though, if you make seed tape using flour, label and refrigerate your tape until you plant. I have had some tape get moldy before I had a chance to plant it.

Once in the ground, the cheap toilet paper dissolves and the seed is left to germinate, sprout and grow, uniformly into wonderful edibles. 


Urban gardeners with very large plots may want to use a different seed distribution method than this, as it can be a little time consuming. But then again, it is a great winter project or even a fun task in which you can involve the youngest gardeners in your home. It is always beneficial for them to discover the origins of their food.

DIY Seed Tape

There's nothing like a little garden prep, during our lead up to the growing season. If you're longing to get your hands in the soil-but it's still frozen, this is the next best thing. Launch into your garden prep by making your own seed tape.

This is my technique to achieving picture-perfect rows of lettuce, carrots, and beets, while being thrifty. Plus, the work you do now will have you proudly grinning from ear-to-ear come harvest time.

I am a  lazy urban gardener.  And, thanks to sound, parental guidance, I'm also a THRIFTY urban gardener. You can purchase seed tape at garden centers and online. It will organize your garden into beautiful,neighbor-enviable rows. But, seed tape can be expensive.

     Solution? Make your own.

What you will need is, cheap toilet paper (I grabbed some from my sister-in-law's house. She is FAMOUS for her see-through, 1-ply offerings). A Dollar Store may have the right stuff, too.

You'll also need fresh seed for cold weather crops. Right now, garden centers have a plentiful supply of several brands of cool weather crop seed, i.e: carrots, spinach, lettuce, beats, etc.

Use some Elmer's School Glue or mix a paste out of flour and water to the consistency of glue. Both are non-toxic and just a tiny dab works. Grab some scissors and a popsicle stick or paint brush to dab your paste.

Use a tape measure, as well. Measure the space in the garden where you plan to place the seed tape. I cut my TP in strips, right down the middle, making them long enough to fit perfectly in my garden box. I follow the directions on the package for spacing and start "gluing." Once I get the glue and seed on the TP, I fold over the remaining TP and voila! I have seed tape ready to plant, as soon as I can work the soil. Be sure to label it.

Generally, I do this project in the dead of winter. This little gardening activity gets me excited for what is to come. A word of caution though, if you make seed tape using flour, label and refrigerate your tape until you plant. I have had some tape get moldy before I had a chance to plant it.

Once in the ground, the cheap toilet paper dissolves and the seed is left to germinate, sprout and grow, uniformly into wonderful edibles. 


Urban gardeners with very large plots may want to use a different seed distribution method than this, as it can be a little time consuming. But then again, it is a great winter project or even a fun task in which you can involve the youngest gardeners in your home. It is always beneficial for them to discover the origins of their food.