Fix Lawn Spots - Problem: Fairy Ring

By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine

An ounce of prevention

Aeration will help with fairy rings, but maintaining a healthy lawn with a balanced fertilization program is essential. Apply three doses:

1. Apply 1/2 lb. per 1,000 sq. ft. in late April or early May to give the overwintering grass roots a bit of a boost.

2. Add no more than 1/2 lb. per 1,000 sq. ft. at the end of June or in early July when temperatures are not at their peak. Stimulating growth during a heat wave will stress the plants.

3. Spread 1 lb. per 1,000 sq. ft. at the end of October. The best root growth takes place when the soil temps are between 58 and 65 degrees F. The roots store energy over the winter, making the entire lawn healthier the following spring.

Photo 1: Fertilize around it
Spread 1/2 lb. of nitrogen fertilizer per 1,000 sq. ft.
to green up your lawn, but skip the fairy ring zone.
This masks the lush green of the fairy ring
by blending it into the rest of your yard.

Photo 2: Break it up
Break up the fungi with a hand aerator.
Punch holes every 2 to 4 in. throughout the ring and 2 ft. beyond.

Photo 3: Dig up the problem
Go “treasure” hunting if you see no improvement in three weeks.
 Dig out rotting stumps, roots, construction debris or other organic materials under your lawn.

Symptoms: Fairy rings are circles approximately 3 to 8 ft. wide that consist of a dark green and fast-growing area of grass surrounding an inner area of partially dead or thin grass. Some rings also produce mushrooms.

Cause: Fairy rings are caused by fungi that live in the soil. As the fungi feed on organic matter, they release nitrogen, causing the grass to turn dark green. As the colony grows, it disturbs the flow of needed water to the turf roots, creating thin or dead spots. Fairy rings often begin with the decomposition of organic matter, such as an old tree stump buried under the lawn.

Remedy: By bringing up the color in the rest of your lawn with a nitrogen fertilizer, you can mask much of the overgreening of the fairy ring (Photo 1). Hand-aerating the ring will break up the fungus and allow the flow of water and other nutrients to the grass roots (Photo 2).

Recovery time: Generally fairy rings can be masked with the application of fertilizer, with results in 10 to 14 days. The grass within the ring will thicken up with aeration in about two to three weeks.

CAUTION!

Call your local utility provider or 811 to mark your underground utility lines before you dig.