Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:34 pm
Fungi on the lawn? One-sided fertilization, potassium and iron deficiency, unfavorable pH and high watering promote fungal growth during warm summer and autumn months. If the mushrooms grow in a circular pattern, they may be so-called fairy rings.
What are fairy rings?
The mushroom grows radially and penetrates the soil in a semicircle or circle. The diameter of the circle can be about 30 cm or several meters. Some witch rings become larger and larger over the years.
This fungus may damage the lawn by excreting ammonia, which causes the grasses to die. The ammonia is subsequently converted to saltpeter in the soil and in this form acts as a fertilizer. This also explains the observation that the grasses in the edge zone of the lawn destroyed by witch rings are particularly green and well developed.
Fighting witch rings
There are no chemical agents approved for the control of this fungal mycelium. However, you can pierce the dry spots with a digging fork (the mycelium is up to 20 cm deep in the soil) and put a lot of water into the holes. Then sprinkle a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Do not mow the mushrooms, otherwise the spores will spread throughout the garden.