One of the common problems affecting the aesthetic value of the turf arefungi on the lawnThese can be different species of cap mushrooms, but usually growing on the edge of the circle, forming the so-calleddevil's circlesSee where the fungi on the lawn come from, how to prevent their appearance, and what it looks likefighting devil's circlesHere are some proven ways how to get rid of fungus on the lawn
Mushrooms on the lawn - roadside cottage cheese (Marasmius oreades)
Mushrooms on the lawn - reasons
Thehat mushroomsappearing on the lawn may initially arouse curiosity. Some of them, such as roadside cottage cheese or kite tassel, are even edible. Usually, however, they quickly become the bane of lawn owners, spoiling the aesthetic value of the turf.
Very oftenfungi on the lawngrow in a circular pattern, forming the so-calleddevil's vertebraeIt is worth knowing that the cap mushrooms we see are only fruiting bodies, and the mycelium invisible to our eyes can cover larger areas of the lawn. The characteristicarrangement of mushrooms in the form of devil's circlesresults from the fact that the mycelium grows in a circular pattern, gradually enlarging the area covered, while cap mushrooms always grow on the edges of the mycelium and growing circle.
The development of the devil's vertebraebegins with a small area of mycelium that gradually grows into a circle.In the first stage of the disease development, the vertebrae may be invisible on the lawn or appear as a tuft of grasses with an intense green color orclump of cap mushroomsLater, circles of various sizes are observed, reaching up to several meters in diameter .
Such acircle of fungi on the lawnmay grow over the years until it encounters an architectural barrier (e.g. a building wall) or until there are environmental factors that are not conducive to the further development of mycelium. Sometimesfungi on the lawndisappear and reappear after a year or two.
Hat fungi most often appear on perennial lawns that have not been regularly or properly cared for. The appearance offungi on the lawnis favored by the presence of rotting, slowly decomposing organic matter. These can be remnants of unremoved grass, forming the so-called felt and limiting the access of air to the grass roots. Very often these are also plant remnants and pieces of branches that have not been removed from the ground before setting up the lawn.For this reason, the problem of devil's circles on the lawn often concerns gardens located on adjacent plots.
Mushrooms on the lawn - devil's circles
It is also worth knowing thatfungi on the lawnoften appear after prolonged periods of wet weather, which were preceded by a period of prolonged drought. Their development is also favored by barren, light soil under the lawn and insufficient nitrogen fertilization.
Mushrooms on the lawn - combating
Fighting fungi on the lawnactually begins at the stage of setting up a new lawn, by thoroughly cleaning the soil intended for the lawn of any plant residues that may rot and rot in the future, favoring the growth of fungi. If the soil is sandy, it is worth fertilizing it before setting up a lawn and improving its physical properties through appropriate organic and mineral fertilization.It may also be beneficial to install an irrigation system that will reduce the lawn's exposure to long periods of drought.
AHow to get rid of fungus on the lawnalready existing? First of all, it is necessary to regularly care for the lawn, and after each mowing, remove the remaining grass blades so that they do not form a layer of felt while drying. The existing old felt will be removed by raking, scarifying and aeration. Scarifying is a flat, vertical cutting of the turf, while aeration is a deeper piercing of it with spines. Thanks to these treatments, the soil is loosened and aerated. Scarifying should be performed at the beginning of the growing season and then repeated 2-3 times a season. If we decide to spray fungi on the lawn, the previously carried out scarifying and aeration will also facilitate the fungicidal preparation to reach deeper into the grass roots. It is also beneficial to properly fertilize the lawn with fertilizers rich in nitrogen.
Fighting fungi on the lawnis carried out with the use of copper compounds in the form of copper sulphate or the Miedzian 50 WP preparation.The latter form is safer for grasses. It is used in a concentration of 6-10 dkg per 10 liters of water and is poured generously with the preparation on the places where the fungi appear. After this treatment, the mushrooms disappear quickly, but also usually regrow after 2-3 months. The effectiveness of this method is therefore limited.
Recently, tofighting fungi on the lawn , another preparation of natural origin is also available. It is Polyversum WP, containing the non-pathogenic Pythium oligandrum fungus, which while remaining safe for people, plants and the surrounding environment, feeds on many species of pathogenic fungi. Although this preparation is not intended forcombating hat fungus on the lawn , it effectively reduces the growth of other fungi that cause grass diseases such as gray mold, snow mold, scruff rot, pink leaf spot or grass rhizoctoniosis . These diseases can occur simultaneously with hat fungi on the lawn, and in such a situation, spraying Polyversum WP will significantly improve the condition of the grass and restore the decorative qualities of the turf.
If all of the above methods fail, the only 100% effective way toget rid of fungus from the lawn , unfortunately very expensive. This is the removal of the entire turf with a 30-centimeter top layer of earth, fertilization of a better substrate and re-setting of the lawn.
More Lawn Care Secrets
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