Fairy Rings in Edmonton Gardens

How To Get Rid of Fairy Rings in Edmonton Gardens:

Q: I have tried everything to get rid of fairy ring but unsuccessful…do you have any suggestions?

A: Hello Mark, Thank you for your question on getting rid of Fairy Rings in your Edmonton lawn. No matter how well you tend your lawn, the dirge of a home gardener is the appearance of a fairy ring.

Fairy Rings in the Lawn

The telltale circle of mushrooms eventually leaves a ring of dead grass. There are plenty of old wives’ tale cures from boiling water, digging, watering, special tools…the list goes on and on. There is no simple solution that really works well. Fairy rings are caused by mushroom fungi; yet there are no fungicides that will control the mycelium, or underground growth of the fungus. Heavy fertilization and watering can help.
Control:
1. Dig it Out: I’ve used this method the most successfully. I call it part of Tam’s spa program. If you are highly energetic, considering exercise, and own a wheelbarrow, you may decide dig out the fairy ring. You must remove the fairy ring turf and soil for 18 inches on both the inside and outside of the ring. The soil should be removed to a depth of at least 2 inches (5 cm) below the zone of the white fungus mat that you’ll discover when you start digging. When removing the affected areas, try to prevent any of the turf or soil from spilling onto healthy areas. Fill the area with fresh top soil and then reseed or re-sod.
2. Drown it Out. The roots of the fairy ring (mycelium) actually repel water, which is what causes the grass to die out. To overcome the extreme drought conditions, use a root feeder or garden fork to punch holes in the fairy ring every 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) apart and 10 inches (25 cm) deep. Soak the holes every second day, if not every day, for at least a month, especially if the fairy ring had progressed to the dried grass stage. Add a teaspoon of liquid dish detergent in a gallon of water to act as a wetting agent to help the water soak into the infested soil. A complete soaking of the area, in addition to a fertilizer application can not only suppress but may even eradicate the fairy ring
3. Wait it Out: Fairy rings will tend to die out naturally when they encounter sidewalks, flower beds and other cultivated areas. Lots of folks extend their flower beds to include fairy ring areas.
4. Duke it Out: I found this one online: Another possible method of eradication is based on the fact that when 2 rings come into contact with each other, they will exhibit antagonistic behavior, which leads to the death of both rings. To take advantage of this natural control method, one may wish to remove the sod in heavily infested areas, cultivate the soil several times to mix the mycelium of one ring with another and then re-seed or re-sod. Really?

Whatever method of control is employed, good turf management practices should follow to ensure re-infestation does not occur. This includes a regular fertilization program in addition to irrigating to a depth of 6 inches (15 cm). Shallow watering should be avoided in all instances.
But there is good news on the horizon. There has never been a cure. Until now, that is. While researching the fungus that causes blackleg in canola, Prem Kharbanda, of the Alberta Research Council, accidentally came across bacteria in a soil sample from central Alberta that not only stopped black leg in its tracks, it also disabled fairy ring.

Prem is experimenting with the bacteria to determine the most effective way to administer it to the soil to kill fairy rings. It will take at least two or three years before the Alberta Research Council confirms their result, and after that, another couple of years before it can pass through the federal government registration protocols.

Dr. Prem Kharbanda is a Senior Scientist with the Alberta Research Council.