A smelling lawn is an embarrassing situation for any homeowner. It is a sign of trouble in paradise.
It’s unsettling to have a lawn that smells like an animal ban. Worse still, if it smells like sewage. It’s a barbeque spoiler. You can’t dare bring your friends over. Nor raise a family in such an awful smelling yard.
Relax. You can breathe a sigh of relief!! The foul odor is fixable.
But you must ask yourself, why does my lawn smell bad? The article lets you know the reasons that may cause foul smells; and how to fix them.
Contents
- Why Does My Lawn Smell Bad- 4 Reasons
- 1. Waste from pets and other animals
- 2. Compost Pile
- Yard Butler ICA-36 Yard Butler Compost Aerator
- 3. Poor Lawn Drainage
- 4. Overwatering of your lawn
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on lawn bad smell
- Why does my lawn smell bad?
- Why does my yard smell like poop?
- Why does my yard smell like sewage when it rains?
- Why does cut grass smell bad?
- Why does grass smell like manure?
- How to stop grass clippings from smelling
- How to get rid of decomposing grass smell
- How to get rid of the bad lawn odor?
- Author
Why Does My Lawn Smell Bad- 4 Reasons
1. Waste from pets and other animals
Your pets can be a nuisance to your lawn. Your lovely pets like dogs, cats, and others may leave various kinds of waste on the lawn. Pet dander, droppings, and urine leave stains and odors on your lawn.
As a responsible pet owner, keep your pets off the grass. It keeps the lawn from pet stains and odors. In case you have a dog run or chicken coop, maintain it rigorously.
It will prevent hay and other materials from falling on the lawn.
2. Compost Pile
Research found that compost pile has an awful smell due to poor aeration. Additionally, the odor can be overwhelming if the compost has excess water.
Thus, leaving the compost for too long makes the stench widely stronger.
Frequently mix the compost to hinder bacteria, mold, and fungal growth. The Yard Butler Compost Aerator can be handy for faster aeration of the pile.
Yard Butler ICA-36 Yard Butler Compost Aerator
Besides, you should cover your compost bin whenever it rains. It reduces the accumulation of excess water.
3. Poor Lawn Drainage
A flat lawn with no tilt prevents water from flowing efficiently. It can easily lead to puddling, mushy soil. Eventually, it becomes a mix of mold, bacteria, and fungi. The mixture has a gross odor.
Poor lawn drainage can also make your lawn smell like sewage. A broken sewage system under the lawn can cause a stench.
However, the sewage stench is also typical when it rains.
Methane gas from septic tanks gets trapped low on the ground when it rains, making the lawn have a sewage odor.
You can fix poor lawn drainage issues in two ways.
- Proper landscaping. A practical landscape should allow the lawn to tilt slightly towards the driveway, if possible. It helps excess water flow off easily.
- Contact your plumber. If the sewage odor persists beyond rainy moments-it may be a sign of sewage line drainage issues below the lawn and the house.
4. Overwatering of your lawn
Overwatering your lawn leads to high water bills and foul odor. Excessive watering of grass soaks up the soil.
It turns soil into a mushy puddle. In turn, it helps bacteria grow and spread.
The bacteria growth is associated with an awful smell.
Water-clogged lawns can also lead to moss growth. Moss inhibits the uptake of nutrients by grass. Additionally, they’ll ruin the grass with brown spots leaving a gross smell.
You can fix the issue by using these tips;
- Reduce the amount of water used in your lawn. It is not a flooding competition. Just give the lawn enough water to keep it hydrated. You can achieve this by using a timer on your lawn sprinklers.
- Remove leftover grass clippings. It will allow aeration of the soil and sunlight penetration. Their removal prevents mold, fungi, and bacterial growth.
Bad neighbor yard divider ideas
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on lawn bad smell
Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about bad smells on lawns.
Why does my lawn smell bad?
Your lawn smells gross because of the rotting compost pile, grass, or sewage leaks.
Why does my yard smell like poop?
Animal droppings and sewage leaks cause a poop smell in the yard.
Why does my yard smell like sewage when it rains?
Rain prevents the methane gas from your septic tank from rising quickly. It keeps methane gas low due to low atmospheric pressure during rain.
As a result, it gets trapped on the lower ground. Therefore, the lawn will smell like sewage.
Why does cut grass smell bad?
A clogged and poorly aerated grass will begin to rot. The roots will rot first, giving out an awful smell.
Why does grass smell like manure?
The smell of manure comes from grass starting to rot. The rotting gives out the manure smell. Grass clippings after mowing can also lead to low aeration and block sunlight.
As a result, it provides an ideal condition for rotting. The smell can also be like a dead animal. Similarly, the decaying of the compost material causes that.
How to stop grass clippings from smelling
Dispose of grass clippings to the compost bin after mowing your lawn. Alternatively, you can place dry leaves below them to ensure aeration.
How to get rid of decomposing grass smell
Mix the compost pile using aerators. Aerators like the Crank Compost Aerator allow fast aeration and sunlight.
How to get rid of the bad lawn odor?
You can neutralize foul odors in various ways. You can use spray the lawn using a mix of baking powder and water. The ratio is one teaspoon of baking powder per a quarter gallon of water.
You should then apply a natural deodorizer after addressing stain odors.
The Amazing Outdoor Deodorizer-Natural Enzyme Formula can be helpful.
It removes foul odors from your chicken poo, dog runs, and others. Also, the product is friendly to pets and people.
Thus, it can handle both your stain and odor cleaning needs.
Your smelly lawn should not be a nuisance anymore. Try and figure out why your lawn smells bad. Then fix what is causing the foul odor.
A compost, pet waste, overwatering, and sewage drainage issues can cause foul smells.
Get an odor remover after fixing the problem. A natural deodorizer will help bring back the pleasant fragrance of your lawn.
Now you have the power to revive the barbeque!!
