Page 7 - Huntwick Herald SEPT 2020

HUNTWICK WOMEN’S CLUB

Ladies of Huntwick: We hope everyone is well. The Huntwick
Women’s Club will not meet in September. We hope to resume
activities in the New Year. Watch future issues of the Huntwick
Herald for announcements. Until we can meet again, stay in
touch and be safe.
Jan Freeman, Publicity

Summertime Pests

Dear Garden Fairy:
Well, July certainly was a rainy month and I have noticed the
most peculiar ring of mushrooms on my lawn. Do you know
what it may be? ~ Signed Perplexed Puck
Well, Perplexed, you certainly have asked the right person...
or fairy. These rings are called fairy rings. The name fairy
ring comes from old European folklore. People once believed
that mushrooms growing in a circle followed the path made
by fairies dancing in a ring and resting on these mushroom
chairs waiting for the next dance to begin. To the homeowner,
dancing fairies is the last thought on their minds.
These mushrooms have suddenly begun appearing in lawns
due to the generous rainfall we have had as of late. Fairy ring
mushrooms occur in a distinctive circular (or semicircular)
pattern and are caused by fungi – not by fairies, pixies, or
magic. They are the fruiting structures of underground fungi.
The most active part of the fungus, also known by the scientific
term Marasmius oreades, is at the outer edge of the ring; that’s
where the fruit forms and thus forms a circular pattern.
Left unattended, fairy rings can be harmful to your grass
by preventing water from reaching the roots and causing
stress to your lawn. There are three options for removing
these mushrooms.
1. Mow them over with the lawn mower.
2. Aerate the soil at least three inches deep with a spading fork
to open passages to the roots.
3. Apply a wetting agent such as liquid dish soap or a
commercial surfactant to help the water penetrate the soil.
For more detailed disease management, consult your
neighborhood garden center. For fairy ring dancing lessons,
send a note to beautification@huntwickforest.com.
Yours truly,
The Garden Fairy

Maintaining your yard and home takes a lot of
hard work and a little magic! If you have any
questions for the Garden Fairy, please email
them to Beautification@HuntwickForest.com.

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