You may ask, why does my mini greenhouse smell weird? Well, after some time of growing fruits and vegetables in your mini greenhouse, it tends to acquire a weird smell that you don’t even know where.
Ideally, a greenhouse should have that typical plant and earthy smell coming from the soil. But, if other foul odors present like rotten eggs or the faint smell of sulfur and ammonia, then it’s high time you should check your soil.
In this guide, we’ll answer you question, why does my mini greenhouse smell weird? Just read on to find out!
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Why Your Mini Greenhouse Smell Weird?
Do you find the smell of your mini greenhouse weird? Well, it’s time that you should know the cause of that issue. Let’s discover!
If there is too much water in your soil, then these strong smells tend to develop. The root cause of this is bacteria, for they love to grow in wet conditions. Water blocks the soil and stops the plants from having ventilation and proper breathing.
A sign of healthy soil is if it has the proper draining. This draining is what helps the plants breathe. A blocked soil cannot let the plants breathe. But, take note that bacteria alone does not make your soil smell weird.
Present in healthy soil is good bacteria that help in the heating up process of your soil. This helps keep your plants warm during the cold seasons. Your soil only develops a strange smell when your soil lacks oxygen. If there is no oxygen present, harmful bacteria grow rather than good ones and create a foul odor.
Other than the soil, the plant itself can cause a foul smell too.
At first glance, the plants may seem healthy and strong, but something is happening to your plants, slowly killing them.
What we have already established as the main culprit for foul-smelling odors is overwatering. Stagnant water inside pots and trays are the best environment for bacteria and diseases to thrive. As soon as they latch onto your plant, it starts to weaken it and eventually kills the plant.
The right amount of moisture helps a lot in the growth of your plants. But, too much humidity can cause a weird smell. This excess moisture affects the roots of the plant. It rots the roots up to the point where they are useless already.
If your roots cannot function the way it has to, then sooner or later, your plant won’t be able to receive the nutrients it needs. In the end, your plant will die without you even noticing or seeing signs.
Tips In Reducing The Weird Smell From Your Greenhouse
Once you have figured out that your plants release a weird smell, immediately remove the plant from its container. When you see dark, dirty water pooling under and the smell intensifies, then this means you have overwatered your plants.
#1 Transplanting the plant in fresh soil
After you have discovered the reasons as to why your greenhouse started smelling bad, it is time to fix the problem. The first thing you must do remove the affected plant from the container and transplant it to fresh soil.
Keep in mind that prevention is better than cure, so as soon as you find something remotely weird about your plants, check-up on it right away. Do not wait until your plant is on the verge of dying.
It is ideal for transplanting your plant in fresh soil with either vermiculite, perlite, pine bark, or peat moss combined with it. This will help with the draining of the ground and guarantee that your plants can breathe better.
#2 Regularly wash the drip plate
Another solution is to regularly and thoroughly wash the drip plate. Since a drip plate’s main job is catching the dirty water from the containers, it is almost sure that harmful bacteria will develop there.
#3 Cleaning the plate
Cleaning the plate will stop weird smells from emerging out of the soil or your plants. It can as well stop the growth of mildew and mold, which causes diseases for your plants.
Preventing Weird Smell
If you have solved the problem with the weird smell in your greenhouse, it is time to set up preventions, so it will not happen again.
1. Stop overwatering plants
The number one prevention tactic you can do is to stop overwatering your plants. The soil must only be moist, not drenched in water like a flood just passed.
2. Use pots with drainage holes
Another prevention method is by using containers or pots with drainage holes at the bottom. This will help in removing the excess water from the soil. Now, you can worry less about weird or foul smells from happening inside your mini greenhouse.
3. Clean the walls of your greenhouse
Aside from taking care of your plants, it would help if you also took care of the mini greenhouse’s entirety. Using warm soapy water, you can thoroughly clean the inside walls of your mini greenhouse. Make it a habit to clean the mini greenhouse after the growing season to prevent pests, moss, and fungal growth.
4. Maintan the pots
Other than the inner walls, do not forget to clean the plant pots too. Pots are where the foul odor starts, so cleaning them up will prevent weird smells. Furthermore, oxygenate your soil by tilling it, and then add a fresh coat of compost on top.
Final Words
Why does my mini greenhouse smell weird? Overwatering is the leading cause of weird smells occurring inside your greenhouse.
Having a proper draining system for your plants will prevent these foul smells from happening. Also, regularly check-up on your soil to see if it is too wet, and check the drip plates for stagnant dirty water.