Get your rings under control
Fighting fairy rings
Fairy rings are the rings of dark green grass filled with white mushrooms that appear in cool wet weather. They expand outward leaving behind a dead patch of grass. There are no easy quick fixes to get rid of them. If left alone they will eventually work their way out of the lawn or disappear.
If you are not willing to wait, then there is only one way to eliminate the problem. You have to get water through the filament mat inside the ring. This method, based on scientific research at Washington State University, takes about a month with close attention to procedures. No shortcuts or quick fixes.
1. Rake up the mushrooms or mow them off with the lawn mower. They will not hurt the lawn.
2. Aerate the soil in and around the ring with a spade fork or crowbar to open passages to the roots. Go down at least 3 inches. Punch as many holes as you can, moving the fork or bar back and forth to break up the soil profile even more.
3. Mix a wetting agent, such as liquid dish soap or a commercial product, with water at a rate of 1 teaspoon per gallon to penetrate the soil. It will take several gallons to fully soak the ring. The soap will not hurt the grass or kill the fungus; it breaks down the surface tension of the water, allowing it to flow more easily.
4. Drench the area thoroughly to the point of having standing water. Do not use a sprinkler – it will not get enough water on the lawn. Use a hose for large areas and buckets for small ones.
Now the hard part: Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 every three days for four weeks. The fairy rings will begin to disappear after about two weeks, but do not give up. Research at Washington State University has shown that this technique, though tedious, does work.
Fighting necrotic ring spot
Necrotic ring spot is a fungal disease that shows up as spreading brown patches in bluegrass lawns across the region. Sodded lawns that have not received proper care seem to be more susceptible. Necrotic ring spot is very difficult to totally eliminate once it has established itself.
1. Aerate, cut, water and feed your lawn properly to reduce the conditions that support the development of necrotic ring spot.
2. Chemical treatment involves the application of fungicides registered for use on necrotic ring spots. It must be applied several times through the growing season, but will merely suppress the symptoms. There are fungicides available both for the homeowner and for commercial application. Either way, it can get expensive.
3. Overseed the entire affected lawn with a necrotic ring spot-resistant grass seed. The resistant grass will grow just fine and mask the diseased grass as it continues to die back. Be sure to care for the new lawn properly to optimize its growth. The seed is available from a number of sources including Northwest Seed and Pet in Spokane.
For more information on necrotic ring spot, fairy ring and lawn alternatives, check out the subject on the WSU Spokane County Master Gardeners fact sheets. They are available free at the Plant Clinic, 222 N. Havana St., or on their Web site: http://spokane-county.wsu.edu/spokane/eastside/ in the free fact sheet section on lawns and ground covers.
Pat Munts