My soil smells

[IsaanAussie]

Thanks all for your suggestions, but I've really no intention of digging up my lawn, I was looking for a more simple solution to my problem.

I have the palm trees and the underground irrigation system, so getting in a tractor is asking for problems, let alone that we're talking of a lot of money to have it redone. If there really isn't any easy solution, than it will stay as it is.

Like others, the picture reveals much more. I wouldn't want to dig it up either.

What I think you need to do is work on the biology in the ground. If the worms are leaving, it is a good sign that things are wrong. You can do be top dressing with compost and/or worm castings.

[JesseFrank]

Thanks all for your suggestions, but I've really no intention of digging up my lawn, I was looking for a more simple solution to my problem.

I have the palm trees and the underground irrigation system, so getting in a tractor is asking for problems, let alone that we're talking of a lot of money to have it redone. If there really isn't any easy solution, than it will stay as it is.

Like others, the picture reveals much more. I wouldn't want to dig it up either.

What I think you need to do is work on the biology in the ground. If the worms are leaving, it is a good sign that things are wrong. You can do be top dressing with compost and/or worm castings.

Near my place is a guy who's selling Chicken pooh mixed with very fine cut coconut husks.

Would that be suitable ?

[samuijimmy]

Thanks all for your suggestions, but I've really no intention of digging up my lawn, I was looking for a more simple solution to my problem.

I have the palm trees and the underground irrigation system, so getting in a tractor is asking for problems, let alone that we're talking of a lot of money to have it redone. If there really isn't any easy solution, than it will stay as it is.

Like others, the picture reveals much more. I wouldn't want to dig it up either.

What I think you need to do is work on the biology in the ground. If the worms are leaving, it is a good sign that things are wrong. You can do be top dressing with compost and/or worm castings.

Near my place is a guy who's selling Chicken pooh mixed with very fine cut coconut husks.

Would that be suitable ?

Chicken poo usually has a lot of weed seed in it and is quite "hot" unless composted for a while.... even then I am not sure I would trust it....

One thing I don't think you said, perhaps I will read again, but how localized are the smelly areas or is it the whole lawn?

[JesseFrank]

Thanks all for your suggestions, but I've really no intention of digging up my lawn, I was looking for a more simple solution to my problem.

I have the palm trees and the underground irrigation system, so getting in a tractor is asking for problems, let alone that we're talking of a lot of money to have it redone. If there really isn't any easy solution, than it will stay as it is.

Like others, the picture reveals much more. I wouldn't want to dig it up either.

What I think you need to do is work on the biology in the ground. If the worms are leaving, it is a good sign that things are wrong. You can do be top dressing with compost and/or worm castings.

Near my place is a guy who's selling Chicken pooh mixed with very fine cut coconut husks.

Would that be suitable ?

Chicken poo usually has a lot of weed seed in it and is quite "hot" unless composted for a while.... even then I am not sure I would trust it....

One thing I don't think you said, perhaps I will read again, but how localized are the smelly areas or is it the whole lawn?

As far as I'm aware the smelly area is confined to the area in the picture. At that location we had to fill in the most.

[cooked]

Just a thought: I once solved a lawn problem by telling the owner to sharpen the lawn mower blades and raise the cutting height. If the blades don't cut but rip off the grass, you have the impression that the lawn is yellowish.

Many people want a golf lawn, which is tremendously expensive to maintain. Like your lawn by the way!

[JesseFrank]

Just a thought: I once solved a lawn problem by telling the owner to sharpen the lawn mower blades and raise the cutting height. If the blades don't cut but rip off the grass, you have the impression that the lawn is yellowish.

Many people want a golf lawn, which is tremendously expensive to maintain. Like your lawn by the way!

I have the same impression. I changed the blades about 6 months ago, and got the impression straight away that the lawn improved at that time.

Since the knife has "cut" quite some pebbles that are between the pool and the lawn, and have probably lost their sharpness. Since the blades are only 300 Baht I'm not gonna bother sharpening them, so will buy a new set this week

[IMA_FARANG]

Could be a lot of things.

If for example, that land was once a marshy area or swamp that was "reclaimed" by covering up the marsh with sand or dirt as landfill, there still may be decomposing vegetation in there.

With a clay soil cap covering the mash landfill the decaying vegetation fumes might take a long time to be released.

When you dug that hole through the top cover that was sealing the "whatever" in, you opened a route for that smell to find a way out.

You need to find out exactly what the smell coming out actually is to find the reason for that smell.

The "rotten eggs" smell may be from decaying vegetation, or even a dump or refuge pit.

To many possibilities to tell without further investigation.

[samuijimmy]

Could be a lot of things.

If for example, that land was once a marshy area or swamp that was "reclaimed" by covering up the marsh with sand or dirt as landfill, there still may be decomposing vegetation in there.

With a clay soil cap covering the mash landfill the decaying vegetation fumes might take a long time to be released.

When you dug that hole through the top cover that was sealing the "whatever" in, you opened a route for that smell to find a way out.

You need to find out exactly what the smell coming out actually is to find the reason for that smell.

The "rotten eggs" smell may be from decaying vegetation, or even a dump or refuge pit.

To many possibilities to tell without further investigation.

Yeah I agree.... sorry to say, .... but I thinks you were given crap soil when they did the fill... did you see the deliveries? It could be contaminated soil from lord knows what....

Whether the smell will dissipate over time is hard for any of us to really know.....(without further investigations!!!! )

Are there any soil testing places in your area... I would think most Dept of Agriculture might be able to do some soil testing.... (?)

How long has it been established, now?

[IsaanAussie]

Whatever it is, is undergoing anaerobic putrefication probably due to watering the lawn. Try getting a litre of EM and applying that to get some aerobic bacteria in the top soil. That may well reduce the gaseous emission.

[cooked]

Whatever it is, is undergoing anaerobic putrefication probably due to watering the lawn. Try getting a litre of EM and applying that to get some aerobic bacteria in the top soil. That may well reduce the gaseous emission.

Please tell me what EM is and does, sounds interesting

[rice555]

Hello All, if you do a thread search on TVF, you can find many

threads on this already, try the top of the farming forum in the

OG section.

rice555