My Garden

Smelly Water

Last post 21-08-2009 6:38 PM by David . 11 replies.

• 11/08/2009 04:20 PM
  debsinthegarden Location: St Helens Joined on: 27 May 2009 Posts: 15	Reply | Contact Hi, we have a water butt which we regularly empty on a regular basis, however it has now started to become very smelly and frothy.  Could someone tell me why this is happening and how to solve it thanks

• 11/08/2009 04:47 PM

  In reply to

  Arrem Location: West Midlands. UK Joined on: 12 Jul 2009 Posts: 90

  Reply | Contact  Hi debsinthegarden, Firstly I'd make sure that nothing has fallen in, but as you often empty it I'd say that's unlikely.  I suppose that the butt is lidded?  if not it is a good idea to keep it covered. Here is one solution. Jeyes Fluid is the product I've used in the past with success.  Try adding just a dash (about 5ml only) to a full butt and give it a bit of a stir. It will keep it smelling as sweet as a nut! There is no such thing as useless - you can always be a bad example.

• 11/08/2009 04:59 PM

  In reply to

  bogweevil Location: Joined on: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 2,043

  Reply | Contact Micro-organisms feed on gubbins washed into the butt off the roof or indeed on various songbirds, athletic hedgehogs and such that drown if you neglect to lid it.  These make the water pretty ripe, but plants don't care what it smells like so I am inclined to use the water up, especially on spring flowering shurbs that need moist soil to make flower buds in later summer and on plantings beneath trees where the soil is very dry even after fairly wet summers.  With only five weeks of potential severe drought stress left, and soils nice and moist in most districts you might as well get rid of stored water and start afresh with cleansed butts in winter.  I have no idea whether the various water butt freshners sold in garden centres work. Boggy Beware the bat-eared bogweevil

• 11/08/2009 06:48 PM	In reply to
  debsinthegarden Location: St Helens Joined on: 27 May 2009 Posts: 15	Reply | Contact Thanks Arrem, will try this, always been slightly worried about Jeyes as it is poisionous to cats but I don't suppose 5ml  in the water butt will harm

• 11/08/2009 06:50 PM	In reply to
  debsinthegarden Location: St Helens Joined on: 27 May 2009 Posts: 15	Reply | Contact Hi Boggy, the butt is lidded so I don't think anything is doing the breaststroke in there.  I will take Arrem's advice and try the Jeyes, have  you tried this in the past? Debsin thegarden

• 12/08/2009 07:54 PM	In reply to
  bogweevil Location: Joined on: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 2,043	Reply | Contact I use water too fast for it to reek badly so there is no need for me to treat water butts, however I would be interested to know how you find it works. Boggy Beware the bat-eared bogweevil

• 13/08/2009 02:03 AM	In reply to
  Aging Misery Location: woking Joined on: 03 Jun 2009 Posts: 78	Reply | Contact Smelly water is an issue that is not goinig to vanish - however fast you use it. It would be most useful if the RHS could undertake some research in this area as even the Head of RHS Horticultural Services has no idea whether the various water butt freshners sold in garden centres work. Beetling ahead....maybe.........?

• 13/08/2009 09:37 AM	In reply to
  David Location: Sevenoaks Joined on: 11 May 2009 Posts: 98	Reply | Contact Oh Dear!. Did my post commending the RHS Plant Centre at Wisley touch a raw nerve elsewhere resulting in it's removed from this forum? Member 29971

• 17/08/2009 12:20 PM	In reply to
  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1,104	Reply | Contact David - don't flatter yourself!

• 19/08/2009 07:32 PM	In reply to
  David Location: Sevenoaks Joined on: 11 May 2009 Posts: 98	Reply | Contact Member 29971

• 20/08/2009 10:58 PM	In reply to
  Aging Misery Location: woking Joined on: 03 Jun 2009 Posts: 78	Reply | Contact THESE THINGS ARE SUCH FUN - THE INTERNET VERSION OF A MOONEY.  I really must now pop done to the fishmonger before visiting the park bench to see what idle chatter is going on. Oops - excuse me - I have inadvertantly split an infinitive or two. Next up for the good old guillotine I guess! Beetling ahead....maybe.........?

• 21/08/2009 06:38 PM	In reply to
  David Location: Sevenoaks Joined on: 11 May 2009 Posts: 98	Reply | Contact Ten out of Ten, young Beetle! Member 29971