 Plant Diseases in Arkansas
Fairy Ring
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Dr. Steve Vann
Extension Urban Plant Pathologist
Fairy Ring is a very common problem that many homeowners have to deal with each
year. It’s more of a problem to the homeowner and it can be a very severe
problem to the golf course manager as well.
Fairy Ring basically is not a true disease, in other words, it changes the
properties of the soil and this in one of the ways we have a problem with Fairy
Ring. In other words, it changes the physical properties as well as the chemical
properties of the soil.
Fairy Ring itself can be caused by up to fifty different fungal organisms.
These organisms actually reside in either the thatch layer or the immediate area
to this particular layer.
Basically Fairy Ring manifests itself as three different types, or three
different symptom types. Type I is the most destructive symptom of Fairy Ring.
In fact this particular symptom actually causes the grass to die in a ring. It
can be a very severe problem, especially to the golf course person. In this
particular case, the fungal organisms actually cause the soil to become
hydrophobic. In other words, it becomes water repellant. So as a consequence of
this particular disorder or problem, the grass actually dies as a result of lack
of moisture.
Type II Fairy Ring basically is a ring of taller, greener, fast growing
grass. This is Type II. A lot of times we may or may not see mushrooms that are
associated with these Fairy Ring fungi. This is Type II when you have this ring
of taller, greener grass. To manage this particular symptom type, the homeowner
basically needs to provide a little bit of light fertilization to basically mask
this ring of taller greener grass.
Now the third type of Fairy Ring is very common in the home lawn. This type
of symptom basically is a ring or a partial ring of mushrooms that tend to pop
up overnight. We see Fairy Ring a lot of times during the hot humid times of the
year and they’re basically curiosities. These mushrooms that pop up however may
be poisonous, so we recommend that the homeowner remove those mushrooms as soon
as they see them because they can cause problems to pets or young children that
may want to sample these particular things out in yard.
Now as I mentioned, Type I is the most destructive type, so it is really
important that if this problem is diagnosed, and it needs to be diagnosed by a
professional. It’s a very difficult problem to diagnose just based on symptoms
so a laboratory exam would be required to confirm Fairy Ring.
Those areas in Type I actually need to be airafied, in other words, water
needs to get down in to those dry areas. That’s the point behind this is to
water those areas with quite a bit of water to replenish that soil moisture in
those different areas.
So, basically Fairy Ring may be classified more as a problem rather than a
true disease, because as I mentioned these organisms actually change the
physical properties of the soil rather than attack the plant directly.
Now there are some fungicides that are available that will inhibit but not
control Fairy Ring, so these materials are going to have to be reapplied on a
regular basis to keep these organisms in check.
Announcer:
To learn more, contact your county extension agent and follow the links in
this section.
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