Timely Topics
The annual explosion of verdant plant growth came early this year with two spells of unusually warm, even hot, temperatures.
Curious phenomenon folks may see in the landscape are fairy circles, curious circular patterns in turf that can be dark green or even brown with death of the grass confined to this pattern. Half- or other partial ring patterns occur as well. Depending on conditions, grass within fairy rings can be denser, greener, and faster growing, or alternatively browner and drier than surrounding grass. During wet weather, rings of mushrooms may form at the edge of the discolored grass.
Fairy rings are circular areas of abnormal turf growth that are most commonly found on lawns and golf courses where soils have high levels of organic matter, and in areas where trees have recently been removed. Due to their mysterious, circular appearance, fairy rings have been of interest since ancient times. According to medieval lore, they were thought to appear after a band of fairies had danced in an area.
Fairy rings are caused by certain fungi that feed on decaying organic matter (e.g., tree stumps, logs, leaves or roots) buried in the soil. Growth of fairy ring fungi begins in the center of the ring, expanding outward in a relatively uniform, circular pattern. Three different types of fairy rings can form depending on soil type, the specific fungus involved, and environmental conditions.
Type 1 fairy rings occur where the fungi involved produce compounds that reduce the amount of water that the soil can absorb, leading to drought conditions that cause the grass in the ring to brown and die. Type 2 fairy ring fungi efficiently decay organic matter releasing nitrogen that promotes lush growth and leads to a dense green ring of grass. Finally, Type 3 fairy rings have rings of mushrooms that appear during wet periods, particularly in the fall.
Most fairy rings disappear naturally following a change in environmental conditions. Therefore, waiting for fairy rings to naturally disappear is often the simplest option for management.
Landscapers should not use fungicides for control, as products labeled for use in managing fairy rings are typically not effective in preventing fairy ring development or reducing the severity of symptoms.
Much of the content of this column is taken directly from an article available from the University of Wisconsin. Contact the Rockbridge Extension Office for a printed copy of this informative article.
Rockbridge Area Master Gardeners are a great resource for helping address lawn, landscape, garden, and other plant concerns. You can learn more at their local website ramga. org and the Master Gardener Help Desk is staffed at the Rockbridge Extension Office most Mondays, April through October from 10 a.m. to noon for help with plant and insect questions.
Pre-requisite to the formation of fairy circles is the presence of sufficient soil moisture which at this writing is deficient across Rockbridge County. Based on the forecast, more information and commentary on the current drought is likely to follow in this column.
