Need help! (Ammonia smelling soil)

[RastafariMan]

Hello everyone,

I’m currently having some trouble with the soil I just recently planted my seeds into.
The soil is giving off a very strong smell of ammonia which can be smelled from inside the house with the fan on. I believe I overwatered the first day(only time I watered) and that there isn’t enough outflow from the pots. The soil is much dryer now but smells stronger. Will it go away withconstant airflow and no watering or should I just remove the seeds (which haven’t broken the surface yet) and replant into pots with new soil.

Any questions or answers please respond!

 

[R1ch]

I think you should remove the seeds into the new soil, but now I am afraid your seeds are dead.

 

[GrnMtnGrowr]

Ammonia smell from your soil? There are only two ways I can think how that would happen, first the most unlikely would be that you watered your plant with ammonia, pretty sure you didn't do that, second would be that a cat has been pissing in that soil. Was the soil taken from a bag? If from a bag is it fresh, just purchased recently? If the soil was outside I could see a cat marking his territory and your bag of soil just happened to be where he was pissin'. But I have never in my life seen soil produce an ammonia smell except for the two reasons I mentioned.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

We talked about this in a duplicate post in another section. The most likely cause of the soil smelling like ammonia is that it is anaerobic--lacking the free flow of oxygen. When this happens, bad bacteria start growing and it makes the soil smell like ammonia. The only real thing to do is to get rid of it and start over.

 

[R1ch]

Could you tell us how you did it now?