Fairy Ring In Lawns
Fairy Ring in Lawns
Mushrooms occur naturally in lawns across Texas, especially when we’ve had a spell of wet weather. They feed off of decaying matter, like tree roots, that they find in the soil. If left alone, most mushrooms die of old age. However, because most homeowners can’t stand the sight of them in their lawns, they choose to rake them up, knock them over or plow through them with their mower.
Single mushrooms or even small clumps of them are common enough to see, but fairy rings are less common. This is a circle formed by mushrooms from the soil inhabiting fungi group. Often, the grass within the fairy circle begins to take on a deeper, more brilliant hue before it begins to thin and die. Often this will happen where a tree used to stand. What causes this phenomenon?
The fairy ring isn’t attacking the grass. It’s just surviving by breaking down organic matter in the soil. This breakdown releases an excess of nitrogen in the grass, which is what causes it to turn a darker green. Sometimes, the fungus’ mycelia gets so dense that water has difficulty flowing through the soil. This causes the grass inside the fairy ring to turn brown and die. The mycelia can also deplete the soil’s nutrients, leaving less for the grass to use. Several different fungus diseases have been associated with Fairy Ring. That’s more bad news for your lawn.
Fairy Ring in Lawns – What to Do
You may first begin to see the start of a fairy ring in the spring as a patch of grass becomes darker in color and grows more quickly. Soon, you’ll notice that mushrooms are sprouting up around that patch. What can you do to take control of the situation?
Like other mushrooms, the fairy ring will eventually die when the decaying matter it was living on is gone. This means that you could just leave it alone and let nature take its course. However, this may take quite a long time, and many Texas homeowners just aren’t willing to look at those unsightly mushrooms for weeks or months. Core aeration can help, allowing more water to penetrate the area. You can read more about Fairy ring in lawns at Fairy Ring Control in Texas.
If you prefer a proactive approach to dealing with fairy rings, then give us a call. We offer Lawn Disease Control services that cover Fairy Ring. There are specialized products that can be bought by licensed lawn care providers only that can be used to treat the fungus with multiple applications. This situation also required additional products and aeration. We can also apply fertilizer that can help you return to a uniformly green, healthy lawn. Whether you live in Euless, Bedford, Colleyville or elsewhere in the North Texas area, contact us for Texas lawn maintenance services.Lawn Disease Control