Help, soil smells like sewage!?

I forgot to put drainage holes on the bottom of a large pot outside. So when I finally remembered (two weeks later). The water that drained out of the bottom smelled like sewage. And one week later it still does. The plant didn't do so well either. So my question: Can the plant and soil be salvaged (it's a really large pot) or should I start from scratch. BTW, it's a hydrangea

Help, soil smells like sewage!?
If your hydrangea is still alive, it may well survive.. the smell is from anaerobic decay of organic materials and water stagnation. If it has a chance to dry out and air gets to the pores in the soil, it might recover and be fine.



keep watering your hydrangea, because it will need it.. your soil may hold the smell for a while, so you probably want to keep this one outside for a few weeks.



Someone suggested Myke.. that's not a bad idea as it may help restart the proper microbiotics for the soil (because you probably drowned those that were in there before.



You might want to put a little water soluble fertilizer in the pot. The plant might benefit from some extra nutrition as it recovers..



Good luck and remember.. hydrangeas like water, but they can't swim. ALWAYS have drain holes in your containers.
Reply:I haven't dealt with that plant as of now, but I will give you my two sense.



If a plant isn't doing well and smells like sewage something is seriously wrong, so I would assume to start from scratch.



Better to cut yours loses, and move on rather then struggle salvaging this one plant.
Reply:Yes but replace the soil with fresh soil, it should be fine.
Reply:You should not try to salvage the soil. The plant may be salvagable. If you scrub the pot with hot water and soap and let it dry, you can probably salvage the pot. I would wash all soil from the plant's roots and immediately repot it. I use styrofoam (either the packing peanut kind or regular styrofoam broken into bits) in the bottom of all my pots for drainage; it weighs less than rocks. I hope your hydrangea survives!
Reply:I think the plant can be salvaged but not the soil. You could fix the soil but it would be a pain. Buy new soil, lift the plant and gently shake of excess soil and replant. To help it get started again go to your garden center and see if they have a product called MYKE. It should help reestablish the roots. Don't forget the drain holes this time, plus put a few rocks in the bottom to lift the roots out of standing water. BLUE