Often referred to as fairy circles or fairy rings, they come from trees decaying underground.
What causes circles in your lawn?
Fairy rings are caused by many different soil inhabiting fungi of the class Basidomycetes. These fungi can cause the development of rings or arcs of deep green grass against the color of your regular grass as well as on thrifty or dead grass growing in a circle. The mushrooms that appear after the rain falls are the fruiting bodies of the fungus. Fairy rings are most common on sandy soil’s that are low in water and fertility. Thick latch layers are usually present.
How do I get rid of fairy rings in my lawn?
A proven solution is aeration of compacted soils. Alternative methods include to removing excess thatch, keeping your lawn well-watered, and encouraging a beneficial soil by top dressing with a hummus builder such as aged manure or finished compost. There is no natural control to this disease, it is very hard to eradicate due to its origins.
Are fairy rings dangerous?
Fairy rings do not pose an immediate threat to the remainder of your lawn or anyone using it, however, it is a good idea to rinse mower blades to reduce potential spread. Once the organic matter in the soil feeding the fungi is decomposed, the ring will disappear as well. If time is not the solution you’re looking for, we can apply treatments annually to reduce or eliminate the problem.
While fairy rings are unsightly to a landowner, they are rumored to be linked with good fortune. Many people choose to make a fairy ring into a fairy garden on their lawn. They bring in boulders and tiny succulents as well as ivy and flowers. Many gnomes inhabit fairy rings in lawns across the Midwest. It’s said when mushrooms appear, the fortune is best.
At A+ Lawncare, we do aeration and dethatching. Call us to come and inspect if you think you may have a fairy ring in your lawn. They must be dealt with on an annual basis, unless you turn the area into a fairy garden, or plant another tree there.