Taking a stroll through the yard can be so rewarding. Little in this life satisfies like seeing flowers in full bloom against a backdrop of lush green foliage, feeling the warm soil and soft grass beneath bare feet, tasting a ripe tomato from the vine, or hearing the cheerful chirping of half a dozen birds at once. And don't forget those "summer" scents: fresh-mown lawns, abundant blossoms dispersing fragrance into the wind, and the smell of...what is that? As my nose wrinkles and my gag reflex kicks in, I realize I've encountered an offending odor unique to the warm-weather season. Spurred on by the presence of harmful pathogens, excess moisture and lack of oxygen, things that would stink any time of year become particularly odiferous in the heat.
Standing water is guaranteed to stink. Water in ponds and wells needs periodic shots of oxygen into the mix to keep water from becoming rancid. Incorporate fountains into your yard's landscaped water features, and let water from wells run for a little while to flush out iron bacteria and sulfur bacteria, which thrive in moist conditions. I know this seems wasteful, but the alternatives are either add bleach to the water (which is NOT an ecofriendly solution) or live with the stench (it's harmless to everything except the nostrils). Other smelly culprits: compost and manure piles which, if not properly tended to, can turn funky fast. Below is the proper way to process manure and other organic materials so they turn into beneficial compost and not just a fetid mess:
1. Spread manure or compost pile flat to allow it to dry out. The materials in the compost pile should be slightly damp, but not so moist that you could squeeze excess moisture from a random handful of the stuff.
2. For compost piles, mix a third of the brown, carbon-rich, organic materials with the manure. Straw, dried leaves, dried grass clippings, and sphagnum peat moss are among the many carbon materials you can add to the manure. Sphagnum peat works especially well because it draws out excessive moisture from the manure. Carbon materials mixed with the nitrogen-rich manure causes the pile to heat up and kill the odor-causing bacteria in the manure. Without providing the proper balance of carbon and nitrogen materials, the pile can heat up too much and kill the beneficial microorganisms that decompose the materials.
3. Drill 1-inch diameter holes spaced 4 inches apart along two 2-inch diameter PVC pipes. The pipes should be about 1-1/2 feet taller than the manure pile height. Hold the pipes upright about a foot apart near the center of where you will build up the pile.
4. Work the composting manure back into a mound or pile after the wet manure dries out. Have one person hold the PVC vent pipes in place while you mound the manure around the pipes. You cannot simply push the pipes through the mounded manure because the pipes would fill with manure rather than allow air to circulate. The manure that was on the inside of the pile should be on the outside of the pile; work the manure from the outside of the pile to the inside so the pile breaks down evenly.
5. Remove the pipe vents and turn the manure pile about once every two weeks. Mist the pile with a spritz of water to dampen, if needed. Replace the pipes and build the mound back around the pipes .Add more carbon materials to the pile when odor becomes a problem. If you add new manure to the pile, you must add carbon organic matter at a rate of one part carbon materials to three parts manure.
Pets can often be to blame for bad odors. If your kitty or pup has decided to use the corner of your patio as a favorite pee-pee spot, a homemade cleaning cocktail can whisk the odor away. Simply mix three parts vinegar with one part baking soda and one part dish detergent in a plastic bottle. Shake well to mix all the ingredients and spray all around the offending area. This will not only neutralize odor, but discourage pets from going back to that spot.
By far and away, the most rancid of smells is caused by dead wildlife. If the decaying animal is small, it's best to simply scoop up the carcass and bury it. Last weekend we discovered a very large deer carcass about 100 yards behind our garage up at our summer place. The smell was so bad that people were coming from a quarter-mile away to investigate the stench. The deer was far too large to bury so we bought bags of lime in bulk and the most intrepid neighbors in the area (my daughter and I being among them) took turns dumping bags of lime dust onto the poor dead thing. Why lime? It's derived from porous limestone, which has natural absorbing properties. Also good: activated carbon (AKA activated charcoal), which is used by organic farmers as a natural air purifier as well as an odor and moisture absorber.
Without foul odors forcing you indoors, you'll be able to enjoy the sweet smell of successful outdoor spaces every time you venture through your yard!
No comments:
Post a Comment