Dugal -- Unfortunately, it wasn't a garden space before we moved in. The prior owners had a swingset in the spot. It was hard, compacted, red earth covered by landscape fabric and several inches of wood chips. I removed the landscape fabric and tilled the chips under -- I'll handle the nitrogen deficiency chemically. I guess that's what weirds me out about the whole thing -- this was virgin crappy soil before I worked it, and I didn't add anything fishy.... Matt On 5/20/06, D. Easton <deaston0@gmail.com> wrote: > > Was it a garden space /before/ you moved in? > > I'm thinking fish-based fertilizer, on the garden, or > maybe on the plants you brought in... I've never had > the results of composting smell fishy. > Course if you've been there awhile it should have broken > down by now if that was it. > > Dugal > > > > > On 5/20/06, Matt Evans <tmattevans@gmail.com> wrote: > > Jim -- you make a good point. The smell is not ammonia-like at all, > > but distinctly fishy. Perhaps it's still a mystery....anyone? > > Bueller? > > > > Matt > > > > On 5/20/06, jim@wildpepper.com <jim@wildpepper.com> wrote: > > > Hmmm... Amines are most often noted for their pronounced 'ammonia' odor > > > due to the presence of an NH2 radical stuck to the functional group. I > > > don't readily associate ammonia with fish ;-) > > > > > > I guess 'fishy smell' needed better descriptives :-) > > > > > > 'Bout time for our noted scientist, the Cardinal, to speak up ;-) > > > > > > -Jim C > > > Mild to Wild(R) > > > http://www.StepUpForCharity.org > > > > > > >