Smelly Soil

Q: We are trying to dig out some tree trunks and the soil around the one we are on at the moment smells of manure. Is there something we need to do with the soil?

A: I believe that what you can smell is the micro organisms working away in the soil trying to break down the smaller roots of your old tree trunks which is a natural phenomenon. It also may have white mycelium in the soil, again people worry about that but it is all part of the process. I personally don’t think you have anything to worry about.