Fairy Ring
What is Fairy Ring?
Fairy Ring is a troublesome and annoying fungus that infects lawns across the country. Fairy Ring first appears as a circle of dark green, lush, fast-growing grass. A brown dead ring of grass surrounds the lush area. Rings or crescents commonly vary from 3’–49’ (1–15 m).
The disease is spread throughout the lawn in the form of spores, which are spread by wind, air, water, and humans.
Symptoms of Fairy Ring
Fairy Ring is contained within the soil penetrating as deep as 12" (30 cm). The fungus attacks a central point in your lawn and grows outward.
Fairy Ring can show various symptoms such as:
- Circular stunted or dead grass zones
- Darker green zone of grass on the outer ring
- Growth of grass and weeds in the center
- Mushrooms on the Fairy Ring fungus
- Whitish fungus located above the soil surface
Controlling Fairy Ring
Unfortunately, Fairy Ring is a very difficult disease to control and is less noticeable in a well-maintained lawn. The turf can be removed and the underlying soil can be replaced. This method is very expensive, difficult and not always effective due to re-infestation.
A more practical method for controlling Fairy Ring is to poke a garden fork into the ring and water the areas heavily. The water floods the disease and carries the Fairy Ring spores away from the grass plants.
Your Weed Man can help you with Fairy Ring suppression by fertilizing your lawn and advising on proper procedures to help mask the problem. Call your Weed Man for more details!