Skip to Content

Banishing Swamp Smell: Yard Odor Removal Guide

Swamp smell in yard, Does your backyard produce a terrible smell? Perhaps, it could be a result of the garbage, a dead animal, or even stagnant water.

Here are some tips to help you get rid of that swamp odor that makes you not want to spend time in your yard

Typically, stagnant water tends to have adverse effects on the yard. For example, it acts as a breeding zone for mosquitoes that are not good because they cause illnesses.

Besides, the still water can make the grass rot causing a moldy smell. Find out the problem first then you can come up with an effective solution.

Thus, if you want to get rid of the foul smell, you will need to find out its cause and then adhere to a few guidelines to bring a fresh smell to the entire area. 

How to get rid of swamp smell in yard: Things to Consider

Swamp smell in yard

Find the Source of the Bad Smell

Where exactly is the bad smell coming from? As mentioned above, it might be the still water, a dead animal, or even some rotting garbage. But before you search around the yard hedges, you may not find out. Thus, quickly and keenly search if there is any rotten garbage or still water that looks swampy. It could be the source of the terrible smell. 

Swamp smell in yard is something you can remove, kindly do so as soon as possible. Alternatively, you can contact the authorities to help you get rid of it. After the source of the swampy smell is removed from the yard space, you can now venture into practices that bring forth a fresh smell.

Or perhaps, it could be a drainage problem. Poor yard drainage can lead to a foul smell, especially if the still water is left unattended for weeks or even months. 

How to effectively Fix Poor Yard Drainage

One of the common tactics to get rid of bad smells in the yard is attending to drainage issues. If the water –after a heavy downfall- remains in the yard for a long time, you will definitely face problems.

Fortunately, there are a plethora of ways for correcting ponding yards. Indeed, most of the possible correction methods do not require any special skills. You can DIY them at your own pace and skill level. 

  • Clean house gutters in spring and fall

The house gutters should remain clean before the rains fall. Thus, you should clean them in spring and fall to make sure they do not hold any debris. 

The gutters will clog if there are leaves, twigs, or even debris from the tall plants. Noticeably, the clogged gutters will cause flooding that pours from the blocked rainspouts. 

  • Add a French drain

This French drain helps the water from your house to drain away. Ideally, you can fix it in a way that allows water from the low-lying zones of your property to drain away smoothly.  You will be required to dig trenches and establishing piping to convey the water towards the French drain. 

Plant Nice-Smelling Plants

After you have taken care of the source of the bad smell and made sure that all gutters and rain waters perfectly drains away from your home, it is now time to bring in a fresh smell.

In most cases, when you ask what should be done to induce a nice smell in the yard, many people never talk about nice-smelling plants. But the fact is that planting flowers, shrubs, and herbs with a nice smell brings forth a fresh smell in the yard. 

You probably like to relax in a place that smells good. And nice-smelling flowers and shrubs can do wonders in your yard. You can even involve your entire family. Perhaps, you can teach your kids how to plant and maintain plants that smell good. 

If you went with your kids to the nearest plant store to get new seedlings, you probably would need a list of them. Here are some of the nice-smelling plants that you can buy and plant in the backyard to give it a sweet smell all through:

  • Wisteria
  • Honeysuckle plants
  • Freesia
  • Jasmine
  • Lilac Bush
  • Sweet Alyssum
  • Flowering Crabapple

Besides, you can still look for plants that are both water-loving and nice-smelling. They can help handle drainage issues and produce a sweet smell to make your yard enjoyable again. 

Take Care of the Fungus Destroying the Grass

Swamp smell in yard

A dying lawn signifies various problems with growing problems. But if a musty, moldy, or mildew odor is linked with a patch of dead grass, it usually points out that fungus is already running the yard.

However, you may have to figure out the source of the problem and then find the right solution. The goal is to get rid of the unwanted guest and ensure it does not happen again anytime soon. 

While there may be many fungicides purposely named for home lawn care, they are not constantly effective. In most cases, most fungicides should be applied before the grass dies, and you must find out which fungus is leading to this mess.

The contact fungicides are usually sprayed while the infection is starting to spread to stop it effectively. On the other hand, the systemic fungicide works well from inside the grass plant to eliminate the fungus causing the problems.

Ideally, it would be best to hire professionals to help with the fungal issue. This is because you may not adequately deal with it without the right knowledge and skills.

Thus, contact the professionals in your area to help eradicate the fungus problem in your yard. This will give fresh life to your yard plants and grass. In addition, the moldy smell will disappear, and the yard will remain a pleasant spot to relax. 

Bottom Line

The primary causes of swamp smell in your yard could be the stagnant water caused by poor drainage, a fungus attacking grass in the yards or even a dead animal.

You can easily get rid of any dead organism that produces a foul smell. Also, you can take care of the drainage issues in your yard by building a French drain, cleaning your home gutters in spring and fall, and ensuring you plant nice-smelling plants in it.