Smelly Waterbutt

[NatalieCooke]

As the title says I have a really smelly waterbutt.

I emptied the butt a few week ago, cleaned it out & added some Hozelock Butt Treatment. It's been fine until last week. Its now that bad I can't be in there after filling the watering cans. The butt doesn't had a lid but its got a piece of wood over the top to stop anything falling inside. The butt is inside the greenhouse I don't think that's the problem. The water is collected is off the greenhouse roof, there is a large oak tree that hang over the greenhouse a little bit. On the surface of the water there's an ugly scum sitting there.

Its getting that bad I'm thinking about getting rid of it and using the water butt that collects water off the main house roof.

Any idea what could be there problem?

Natalie.

[Catseyes]

Have you tried putting charcoal into the water butt?


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[Kristen]

I'm surprised that it is smelly after only a couple of weeks since it was last cleaned out ... but I think being inside the greenhouse it will be a lot warmer than outside, sufficient that any bugs will be able to multiply quickly. The plants will much prefer being watered with tepid water, than stone cold though (I sort of get around that by filling the cans and leaving them in the greenhouse, but if there isn't enough water in them for all the plants then some are watered from refills, which are from the cold butt outside ... plus my Watering Cans go green over time ...)

[skeggijon]

I hate it when you get a smelly butt! We used to have an old metal water tank in our old greenhouse, which was brill, but I've found plastic ones can get smelly pretty quickly, but we counteract that by continually using the water and topping it up with the hose pipe if necessary.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I hate it when you get a smelly butt!

So does SWMBO

[Kristen]

SWMBO? She With Most Butt Odour? Surely not me thinks ...

[NatalieCooke]

I've just been in the greenhouse & I can smell it when i'm stand next to it. We are moving the greenhouse later this year so it shouldn't be under the tree any more. It didn't smell at all last year we've not done anything different this year.

[Two_Sheds]

Are there decomposing leaves in it? That will make it smell bad

[NatalieCooke]

Sorry for the late reply. I've been on holiday.

No there inst any leaves inside. I've got some mesh to start anything falling inside.