Smelly soil may mean moisture, how is the drainage? Could you post a photo of the area?

It rained last night but this is essential where the liquid would be dumped

Disregard that gutter it's the soil around it where the garbage cam would be cleaned and the raining liquid would be dumped in the soil...my gues is this was done a few times summer of last year...I got the person to stop thinking the smell would clear up on it's own but a year later, the smell is just as strong

Looking up options on line...it's clay soil someone recommended I replace with top soil but not sure that will work

Sorry for all of the typos....it's too early:-)

I would stop thinking about the garbage can and start thinking what caused the smell. What does it smell like sour, oil, rancid, etc. This is a small area, that may have poor drainage. An area like this would naturally be prone to the growth of all kinds of mold, fungi, and similar things.

It it were mine I would spray the hold are with a dilute solution of bleach. If after several application, If that did not work I would dig it out to about a foot down and refill with a good soil. I would consider filling the area with cement.

If that patch of dirt cannot process a couple of garbage can washings after a year, the problem is in the ground. The most common cause of stinky soil is a waterlogged anaerobic condition, as in no oxygen in the soil for microbial activity.

It would not surprise me if some genius placed a layer of plastic or heavy duty landscape fabric in there to prevent weeds. If that is the case, the stink is coming from the soil below the plastic or fabric that can't breathe. Is there plastic in there? If there is remove it and the stink will go away.

You probably need to put some drainage in. Then, plant it up with something that can take the soil conditions.

What is the round green lid partly covered in soil? Does it lead to drains. Gas pipe? Water pipe?

Looks like the pix are of both sides of the sidewalk. Do both sides smell bad? Where does the underground drain in the second pic go to?

tj

Downspouts that empty to a small area like that is poorly designed. You want that water well away from your foundation and certainly that soil is insuffient to absorb the water no matter what you plant there. At the very least, Extend that downspout so you can put the drainage block so that water will travel over the sidewalk and not get trapped in the soil pocket between the sidewalk and your home.

It would probably be best to get someone in there to extend the gutter underground, trenching under the sidewalk to make sure the water gets away from the house.

I’m 99% sure that’s the cause of your stink. Not cleaning garbage cans there LAST YEAR.

@floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK That green lid is most likely a termite bait station. I suppose the chemical in it could stink, but I have never found that to be the case.

Right. Termites are another thing we don’t have here.

Long term you may indeed need to have those drains go further out. In the meantime: a thick layer of wood chips or shredded bark or similar. Perhaps 4 inches thick. A bit of sticking a fork down and sort of 'cracking' the soil (pull the fork down) to let some air in and let woody materials fall down there. This may not solve the problem long term but should cover up a lot of the smell and possibly amend the soil enough that it doesn't remain stinky.

Keep careful note of course of where any structures are in soil (assuming the round green thing is some kind of lid).

I agree with krnuttle that you need to know what the smell is before you can address it.

It looks like the water drains back toward the house. Is that correct or am I reading the picture wrong.

If you use bleach in the soil and that does not fix the problem, you're likely going to have to dig some dirt to see what's going on.

The rain gutter spilling water over the spot is keeping the smell wet and active. And there’s nowhere else for the rainwater to go - it sinks right down into your problem spot. There may be a permanent swampy water pocket 2-3 feet underground.

You’re not going to solve this until the rain gutter is re-routed somewhere else.

Exactly. (I thought it should be said again, littlebug.)

It would probably be best to get someone in there to extend the gutter underground, trenching under the sidewalk to make sure the water gets away from the house.

I’m 99% sure that’s the cause of your stink. Not cleaning garbage cans there LAST YEAR.

Exactly. Why is anyone saying anything else?

Look up "Automatic Drain Away Downspout Extender System" -- under $10, should get the water across the sidewalk to a larger area to drain into. If that fixes the problem, then you could investigate a more permanent solution, such as cutting a drainway, re-routing your gutter, etc.

I just wanted to thank everyone for their advice and help. It seems like digging up about 1-2 feet of the soil and treating those areas with bleach several times worked:-)  I am going to look into getting someone to run that drain underground, too!  Thank you again!