On Mon, 31 May 2004 22:16:19 -0400, "The Data Rat"
wrote:

Thanks,

I live in a 30 year old city development that was woods before the houses
were built. There never was a septic tank. 3 years ago, I took samples to
the local dept. of agriculture and added gypsum, sifted top soil, sand, peat
moss, and perlite just as I was told to. This cost a freaking fortune
because I had to take down a tree, my privacy fence so the excavating
equipment could get back there to remove several dump truck loads of the
clay and dump in the amended soil. I had a great yard for a year...then the
clay came back. I have tilled it every year and added more gypsum since
then and it is a waste.

As I said, I have decked half the yard and am getting ready to deck all but
a 10 x 10 area for the dogs. My neighbor showed me where the sewage lines
are and there are none in the back yard. They run from the front side of
the house to the front. But, I think you are right about the anaerobic
fermentation. As someone asked about my post, it is a swampy mucky smell.
Trouble is, I have done everything to aerate but .
the clay seems to rise to the top.

No that you mention Joy dish soap, I did use it in hose end sprayer one year
and it worked. That's what I will do tomorrow!

Thanks everyone! I feel so much better getting some suggestions. My
neighbor put in an in ground pool and his yard is all concrete. Maybe I
should open a pottery studio since I have the clay!

wrote in message
...
any chance there is sewage perking up thru the clay??? it couldnt be an
old drain
field? has anyone added gypsum to the clay to break it up?
bad smell in a pond is always due to anaerobic fermentation. if the soil
is aerated
it wont stink. I use plain old dish soap to wash our dogs urine off the
concrete and
frankly, it works better than anything else I have tried. I put a big
squirt of joy
lemon into about a gallon sized open bucket and slosh that around. I do
fence my
itty bitty backyard so the mutts cant just go anywhere they please.
urine is like ammonia, need an acid to neutralize it, altho like I said
joy dish soap
works. Ingrid

"The Data Rat" wrote:

My yard smells. It is heavy clay and when it rains, it holds moisture
and
turns green with either algae or mold. (I have had 2 loads of top soil
brought in, tilled it and amended it per the dept. of agriculture. It
always started out great, then turns back to clay. Overall, I have spent
about 3K on the back yard)

Oddly enough, where it smells the worst is in an area that gets full sun
to
bright shade all day. The yard is graded correctly, it slopes down, away
from the house. I do not have any trees in the yard, but there are
very
tall pine tree's behind the yard.

My question is what can I put on it to neutralize the smell?
I am getting ready to deck the remaining yard in so I don't care if it
kills
the grass, (what little there is). I also have 2 dogs and the smell of
urine stays forever. Baking soda doesn't work and I have actually tried
Febreeze. It's just a rank smell.

Thanks!

Suzi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Perchance does the ground need drained? Does it actually stay soggy?
Or just stinky?

Is there any chance you could be in anything like a "Love Canal" like
area? Yeah I know you said there were woods there, but what kind of
woods? How far are you from a substantial body of water, canal, lake,
ocean?? What kind of trees where there... if you know?

Janice