There are three types of Fairy Ring; Accelerated growth, dead zone, and mushroom. Accelerated growth Fairy Rings appear as circular rings of grass that’s greener and thicker than the rest of the lawn. Dead zone Fairy Rings, caused by another type of fungus, can resemble Necrotic Ring Spot under certain conditions and soil types. An obvious indicator of Fairy Ring is when an actual ring of mushrooms pops up from the soil. 

While it’s most common for Fairy Rings to show up in ring form, it’s not unusual to find them growing in arcs. Whichever type, you can be sure fungus is to blame.

Many of our customers wonder how Fairy Rings form in their grass to begin with. Fairy Ring causes are similar to other lawn fungal diseases. They most often grow near decaying wood and other organic material, and prefer moisture and soil untreated by fertilizers.

To prevent them from happening, make sure your yard is cleaned up well, and mow and dethatch through deep raking regularly. Slow releasing fertilizers will replenish your grass with important nutrients necessary to thrive should the fungus activate. It’s important to apply them uniformly so patches of lawn don’t go untreated and remain at risk.

Take note of your watering habits and make sure overwatering isn’t taking place. Lawns should receive infrequent drenchings rather than frequent sprinklings to avoid moisture buildup in the thatch and soil around grass roots. Your turf’s roots will grow deeper when the water is allowed to drain downward a bit.