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Soil, Compost & Mulch

My soil is stinky ~

weed30 St. Louis

14 years ago

I made a new flower and herb bed this year, by scalping the grass, topping with shredded leaves and newspaper, and topping with pine mulch. I've done this several times in the past with no problems. The upper part of the soil is ok, but turns to pretty much solid clay about 6 - 10" down, depending on where I dig. Tonight I was putting in some more plants, and when I dug a hole, the soil smelled bad. Not overwhelming, but I think it smells like sewage. (not poop type sewage, just that funky sort of rotten smell.)

We have had a LOT of rain. Do you think it is because the ground is so saturated, and the clay won't let the water percolate down, so it's down there fermenting? Do I need to worry about it? So far, the things planted there seem fine. (although I wonder if my herbs are drinking up some nasty stuff and if I should be concerned at all.) We are due for a week of hot weather (upper 90's) with little or no rain. Should I not water at all to help the soil dry out? It is just so weird - I've never run into this before.

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Comments (6)

jean001
14 years ago
Yes. saturated. And anaerobic. It would be a good idea to put in raised beds, a foot or more high.
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
14 years ago
Saturated, anaerobic as jean said. The herbs won't be ingesting anything that will be harmful. Not sure why you would want to water saturated soil.

In addition to jean's suggestion, if you have a slope you may want to help yourself by putting in a French drain. Lots of transferable skills learned in this simple activity.

Dan
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weed30 St. Louis
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you. I found info on anaerobic soil on another forum here. Darn. I am moving in the next 4 - 6 months, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Building a raised bed seems like it would be a waste of labor and time, since I'm not going to be here long.
weed30 St. Louis
Original Author
14 years ago
Dan, I posted before I saw your reply. Normally I water to keep the plants from wilting in the heat if there is no rain. Guess that's not a problem in this particular spot. I will just hope for the best and I'm glad I was able to learn something new about soil.
iam3killerbs
14 years ago
If you're growing squash, cucumbers, and other members of the same family its normal for the leaves to wilt in the heat of midday -- its their natural means of conserving water.

I've seen peppers and tomatoes do the same but I try not to let them get that dry since it can interfere with fruit set.
weed30 St. Louis
Original Author
14 years ago
The garden in question is a combo butterfly and herb garden. My herbs are basil, dill, fennel, thyme, oregano, cilantro, rosemary, parsley, and mint. The two tomato plants that I have are not in this bed. The mint is in a pot for the usual reason! :)

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