Mushrooms of the fungus causing the type 1 ring are produced in the bare zone or at the junction of the bare and outer zones. The fairy ring may be broken when it encounters a barrier, such as a large rock, pathway, or unfavorable soil condition. Rings get their start often as a cluster of mushrooms noted after heavy rains or an irrigation. Thus, the grass dies not directly from the fungus killing it, but by keeping water from reaching the roots. In essence the grass plants are killed by droughty conditions in that zone.
Suppression is the easiest and most practical approach.
This involves the core aeration of the area to allow for better water penetration, the use of wetting agents in the bare areas, and the optimal maintenance of water and nitrogen in the affected zone. Antagonism is based on the premise that when fairy ring soil is mixed with other healthy soil, antagonistic organisms will suppress the pathogen. This involves the removal of the sod or the killing off of the area with a non-selective herbicide, then rototilling in several directions to completely mix the soil. Then prepare the soil as would normally be done for seeding or sodding. Eradication, the final method, requires the most work, is expensive, and not always successful.