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Health & Fitness

Fairy Rings

Oh, my, did you ever watch the movie The Spiderwick Chronicles ? It is about real sprites and the bad dudes who want to hurt them. But, the bad dudes cannot cross over a fairy ring, so the good guys make one around the house to protect it.

Fantasy is so awesome!

Have you ever seen a fairy ring? I remember seeing one at my sister's home in Takoma Park. I thought it was so awesome that there really could be a ring of mushrooms on the ground!! The thing of fairy tales in front of my very eyes!

Well, they really are not that a good for a turf lawn after all! There are three different types of fairy rings. The information below is from a University of Maryland Extension Integrated Pest Management Newsletter dated October 4, 2013.

Fairy rings are caused by soil-inhabiting fungi that create rings 
of dead areas or dark green rings or arcs in turf. 
These rings are more prevalent in dry soils during 
dry months in summer and fall. There are three 
types of fairy rings. Type 1 fairy rings that kill or 
badly damage the grass make the soil hydrophobic 
which causes drought stress, thinning, and death of 
turf. Type 2 fairy rings stimulate the grass and cause 
formation of rings of dark green turf. The third type 
does not cause damage, but does produce mushrooms 
or puffballs in arcs or rings. All of the commonly 
cultivated turfgrass species are known to be affected 
by fairy ring fungi. Fairy ring fungi can be suppressed 
by keeping turf well-watered and by fertilizing it.

So, if you have seen these in your lawn or around town, you now know that it is mostly prevalent in dry soils. Yet another thing to think about as you attempt to improve the health of your lawn!

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