Fairy rings

Growing Things
Post Reply
Message
Author
Keef

Fairy rings

#1 Post by Keef » Wed Aug 26, 2015 11:05 pm

We have a large lawn behind the house, with some mature trees and a few flowerbeds. Most of it is grass.

This year, we are getting increasing numbers of "fairy rings" - rings of toadstools (or fungi of some kind) that kill the grass. The gardening books we have say, basically, that if you have them then you have them and that's that. They are unsightly and we'd rather NOT have them.

I've read up on the causes (too much thatch in the grass/not enough scarifying, and spores blowing on the wind from other infected areas). I can deal with the thatch - I have an attachment that goes on the lawnmower to deal with that, but apparently it's too late now.

What I need is something that will kill the toadstools and the mycelium underground. Apparently, there used to be chemicals that would do that but the EU has banned them. I've heard a variety of suggestions (soapy water, disinfectant, flame gun) but none from people who've been there and done that.

Has anyone had these things and got rid of them? What worked?

User avatar
Alisoncc
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 4260
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2015 7:20 am
Location: Arrakis
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: Fairy rings

#2 Post by Alisoncc » Wed Aug 26, 2015 11:26 pm

Check whether they're edible, and if so eat. Recommend mushroom omeletes.
Rev Mother Bene Gesserit.

Sent from my PDP11/05 running RSX-11D via an ASR33 (TTY)

User avatar
500N
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 6985
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 4:27 pm
Location: The Great Southern Land - Melbourne, Aus
Gender:

Re: Fairy rings

#3 Post by 500N » Thu Aug 27, 2015 2:16 am

Pick them before they spread more spores !

User avatar
probes
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 2841
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 9:01 pm
Location: 'Urop
Gender:

Re: Fairy rings

#4 Post by probes » Thu Aug 27, 2015 7:35 am

I'm against plantkiller chemicals on principle (they kill everything else as well) and use boiling water or soapy water (the old-style animal fat based soap).
But generally it seems to me some years are just favorable for some kind of growth or creatures, it need not be the same the next year.

DX Wombat
First Solo
First Solo
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 7:42 pm
Location:

Re: Fairy rings

#5 Post by DX Wombat » Sun Aug 30, 2015 9:06 pm

Try boiling water it seems to frighten off a lot of unwelcome guests in the garden. :)

Keef

Re: Fairy rings

#6 Post by Keef » Sun Aug 30, 2015 9:42 pm

Thanks for those. I think soapy water and boiling water are next on the list, then.
The Jeyes fluid treatment seems to have stopped some of them, but not others. A stronger (or longer) dose of that may be the next treatment after soapy and hot water.

I picked a bucketful of the little blighters yesterday before I mowed.

Several neighbours have reported the same problem this year, so it may be weather related.

Post Reply