A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Smelly Lawn!

Please someone save me! I put some new rolls of sod down and watered it in. After a few days we noticed a strong manure smell and flies all over it. We removed the sod. The stench is still there as are the flies. We have sprayed with various things, no luck. I am afraid to soak the lawn and flush it out incase that makes it worse. I was hoping that when it dried it would go away, but it is so humid here too. I don't know what to do and the heat and the smell are unbearable.

Hi Jill, and welcome to the forum--I'm moving your post down to Lawn Problems where it will receive more replies...

Glad you found us!

Some sod companies will use a manure based liquid fertilizer on their product. The nitrates break down & the nitrogen keeps the sod a deep green color. They must feed it alot, because it is usually stored on top of tarps for easy/fast pick-up. It is soaked into the soil, which they keep wet. Put the sod down & keep watering. The smell will go away as the manure content is washed into the soil & diluted.

Also, if they have used "bloodmeal", that can smell really bad. Even worse if mixed with "fish emulsion".

I one time laid some sod that I was sure they must have removed from a ruptured septic tank.

In the future, inquire as to how they treat their sod, before you buy.

I agree. Sometimes the same thing happens when I get mulch in bulk. It will eventually go away. Don't worry about the water affecting the smell. What is more important is the sod getting through the heat of the summer. You will soon forget the smell was ever there.

Good Luck