Knowledgebase

New Sod Prep for winter #948448

Asked November 13, 2026, 1:19 PM EST

We live outside of Traverse city zone five. We put down beautiful KB sod three weeks ago. Regular watering. Evidence that roots are growing. Dark grn color leads me to believe sod farm hit if with high nitrogen fertilizer This fall. Worried about snow mold over winter. Grass is now 4-5” tall. Should I cut it now? And should I treat it with Snow Mold Fungicide(if so, which one?)

Grand Traverse County Michigan

Expert Response

Hello Patricia,

Hopefully you have sufficient root mass formed before the top layer of the soil freezes.  There is a difference between sufficient roots to provide anchorage and sufficient root mass to prevent desiccation throughout winter and spring.

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ay/ay-28-w.pdf

Current advice is to not cut the lawn lower for winter than you would normally cut it.  So, you would like to cut to 3.5 - 4 inches going into winter dormancy.

As far as preventive fungicides are concerned, there are products carried at "big box" retailers that are labelled for use against snow mold.  Read and follow all label instructions for any fungicide you apply.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/managing-lawn-diseases

Professional applicators for lawn care can apply fungicides that are more powerful than what the homeowner has access to.  You may choose to use a professional service for fungicide application.

Hope this helps. 

Edward A. Replied November 13, 2026, 10:37 PM EST

Loading ...