Let's Talk Fairy Rings

7/28/2017

Fairy Rings Got You Running in Circles?

Fairy ring is common on western Canadian lawns. A telltale sign of fairy ring is the presence of toadstools or mushrooms in the effected area especially during times of abundant moisture.

What do fairy rings look like?

This fungus grows in arcs or continuous circles of dark green grasses and grows faster than grasses on either side. These bands can be between four and twelve inches wide with a diameter of the circle varying from three to fifty feet or more.

How Do I Stop Fairy Ring From Spreading?

Fairy ring spreads easily and is very difficult to control. You can utilize some of the control recommendations found online like aerating and drenching the ring with a high nitrogen fertilizer; or you could dig the fairy ring out. The latter treatment requires all the grass and soil to be removed from the fairy ring, at a distance of 12 inches away from the outside and edge of the ring and 12 - 18 inches deep.

How Can I Treat Fairy Ring Organically?

Our clients began experimenting with our soil conditioner SoilPerfect Rx VIE, liberally applying the product on the fairy ring area every 2-3 weeks. Within one season the growth was halted and in some cases, the fairy ring pretty much disappeared with only some of the telltale darker grass showing. Treating the affected area in the second year seemed to discourage any re-emergence of the fairy ring.

Keep Fairy Ring From Spreading!

Whatever method you choose, take care not to infect other areas with the spores or soil from the fairy ring. Make sure you clean your tools thoroughly after any procedure that has made contact with the affected area. Disinfect your gardening tools with a solution of household bleach or Lysol containing chlorine after treating your fairy ring affected areas.

Questions? Contact Our Experts for Help!

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Susan Penstone's
All About Soils

I guess it’s not surprising with a Croatian maiden name meaning “worker of the land”, that soils and growing things – food crops in particular – are close to my heart. Adding to the genealogical mix, grandparents on my mothers’ side were also of farm stock..

But to be honest with myself, this affinity with the land also likely has something to do with avoiding strict rules and household chores at a very young age and escaping to the neighborhood wetland a few blocks from my Regina home. Memories of a barefoot eight-year-old Susan up to her knees in muck and water, gathering up frogs and other specimens for her makeshift dissecting table are fresh in my mind. Looking in the rear view mirror while driving in a stifling vintage 1960s truck to check grasshopper infested grain fields with my grandfather; playing hide-and-seek with my sisters in the corn and pumpkin patch; and trimming the mountain of filet beans before Grandmamma’s “yes!” to the local swimming hole seems to have given some direction to my life’s passion and work.

Although I didn’t heed the call of my garden and my community’s Soils until the birth of my daughter a quarter century ago – little Susie’s bonding time with Nature is surely proof of Richard Louv’s research and call to action to reconnect children and Nature. This childhood intimacy has become my underlying life philosophy to explore and transform ways in which I might work with Nature to solve problems, be a better human being, and contribute to the building of sustainable businesses, communities and economies.

“The future will belong to the nature-smart—those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the natural world and who balance the virtual with the real. The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need.”
—RICHARD LOUV