rot in soil - Ask Extension
Folks - years ago we had a tree removed and the stump ground. Over the years the grass never grew back, and some huge mushrooms came out where the st...
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rot in soil #792298
Asked May 23, 2022, 5:37 PM EDT
Folks - years ago we had a tree removed and the stump ground. Over the years the grass never grew back, and some huge mushrooms came out where the stump had been. We were told that the fungus was depleting the soil of nutrients. The area developed soft spots. Now I have dug into the area. In at least a couple of areas there are gaps in the soil under the surface (in the picture there is one close and one farther away). I assume that the soil is infected, and the hole needs to be dug widely and deeply. What do you recommend doing to rehabilitate this and patch it up?
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
The soil is not infected with plant pathogens. Naturally-occurring soil microbes are slowly degrading the stump grindings. You could add mineral soil to fill the open spaces. Note: bagged "topsoil" is typically 90-100% organic material and not suitable for this purpose.
Since you don't need a lot of this soil, here are some possibilities:
Since you don't need a lot of this soil, here are some possibilities:
- look around your yard and garden beds for some spots where you could remove small amounts of soil to use
- look around the neighborhood for "free fill dirt" at construction sites
- go to Howard Co. landfill and buy or ask for some topsoil (they sell a topsoil/compost mix that would be fine)
- search garden centers for bags of actual mineral soil (contain sand, silt, and clay)
- last resort- mix coarse, builders sand into the soil to help fill up the holes
