FAIRY RING

Q. I have a ring of toadstools on my lawn, how do I get rid of it? Thanks CT Malin.

A. A fairy ring is a fungal growth of toadstools on the lawn which grows wider and wider each year. There are three types of fairy rings. The first has only a ring of toadstools and the grass isn't in any way damaged or changed. In the second type the grass at the outer edge of the ring is a very dark green. The third type is the most persistent, with two dark green rings of grass either side of the toadstool ring with the space between them bare and riddled with moss.

Treatment Make sure there is no decaying matter under the lawn, old pieces of wood, which the fungus lives off. With the second type of ring, the single darker green ring can be disguised by feeding the rest of the lawn with a high-nitrogen food so that the whole lawn becomes a dark lush green and the ring doesn't stand out. The third ring is very difficult to get rid of and there is no chemical cure. The only real answer is to remove all the earth to a depth of 30cm (12in) and to 30cm (12in) beyond the ring. Fill the hole with clean topsoil and then re-turf. Be careful not to spill any of the excavated soil onto the garden or the spores may contaminate a new area.

Horticultural.