This page was created to assist you in understanding some of the terms used when describing fairy ring and fairy ring fungus.


Mycelium: is the vegetative part of a fairy ring, consisting of a mass of branching, threadlike hypha, that exists below the ground or within another substrate. , normally not visible, as it occurs in the soil layer of your lawn.

Hydrophobic: water-repellant, area within fairy ring is hydrophobic and cause grass roots to die

Lectophilic: thatch inhabiting fairy ring fungus

Endaphic: fairy ring fungus living in your soil layer

Thatch: Thatch is a layer of tightly knit plant material located above the soil and below the base of the grass plant. Soil is generally not present within the thatch layer and therefore holds very few nutrients.Lectophilic  fairy ring fungus will take advantage of this material to grow.

Antagonism Effect: Generally if 2 fairy rings grow into each other they create a scalloped effect. This condition is thought to be due to certain chemicals produced by each fairy ring to inhibit growth of other fungi.

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