Ideally, you want a 2:1 ratio of brown-to-green. Homes & Gardens is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. And, yet another option is to soak something, perhaps a cotton ball or a bit of the old pee bale, and put that around the garden. Whichever method one chooses, itll be necessary to reapply the urine after a rain or watering. In fact, the urine from all mammals plays an important role in the earth's nitrogen cycle. At the end of the day, making your own homemade compost starter is a method that takes minimal effort and possibly will help out your compost. Composting is an important part of any garden as it allows gardeners to take what could otherwise be seen as waste materials and turn them into something that feeds and nourishes plants. Urea is used as fertilizer in agriculture. Plus, its a great excuse to have another beer. So make sure to have lots of sawdust, leaves, cardboard or straw to add too, that way you end up with perfect compost that makes one of the best types of mulch. But do try and adhere to the green to brown ratio as much as possible to keep your pile healthy. In fact, the urine from all mammals plays an important role in the earths nitrogen cycle. I started 7 years ago when first establishing my garden. For example, pre-soaking paper and cardboard with urine is one of the best ways to use these two composting ingredients. How European design and traditional style softened the edges of this new build, Common problems with strawberries 6 simple issues that can reduce your harvest, Roebic Bacterial Compost Accelerator at Amazon | $14.78, Everything you need to turn your dream home into a reality, Subscribe for just 1 per issue with our Spring Savings, Full of inspiring real homes, expert project advice and on-trend shopping, Issues delivered direct to your door or device. Good compost needs the right mix of nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich ingredients. However, if you are adding urine directly to the soil make sure that you dilute it. Some people consider cotton burr compost as a bit of a miracle compost solution! As well as speeding up the process it also makes the resulting compost even more rich in nutrients. Urine is a rich source of Nitrogen, and will . So sensible. Tip: The best time to use urine as an activator or accelerator for a compost pile is in the early morning, when the uric acid levels in your urine are at their highest. These nutrients are released into the soil slowly, making alfalfa gentle enough to be used on the youngest seedlings and sprouts. It can be highly beneficial to give an extra boost to a compost heap that is decomposing slowly, a new heap that needs to initiate decomposition, or for breaking down coarser organic matter like leaves. When you see the benefits you wont be able to get enough of it! Is urine 'green' or 'brown' compost ingredient? An herbal compost activator usually contains a mixture of the following seven ingredients: yarrow, chamomile, dandelion, oak bark, valerian, nettle and honey. In fact, it can be used in many different ways for boosting production. Urine is very high in nitrogen, so much so that it should be diluted a minimum ratio of 1:10 with water before being used on plants. Thanks!!! Urine is not something to be flushed away like a problem. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. My aim is to1) Find a good use for the acidic & nutrient packed urine. Lindsay Sheehan is a writer, researcher, and lifelong gardener who loves little more than the thrill of nurturing living things from dormant seed. Obviously, the stiff shot of nitrogen and a bit of moisture both help, and the uric acid (urea) is also very beneficial. Posted on Published: May 24, 2021- Last updated: August 17, 2021. Indeed, human pee is a fantastic natural fertilizer and compost stimulator. A compost pile is simple to maintain but does need some care. A slow compost can be re-energized by adding more materials until the heap reaches a minimum size of 3 cubic feet. Keep your pile or the contents of your bin or tumbler at no less than three cubic feet to ensure it generates enough heat to function and is damp, not wet. Use these additions to heat your compost pile to rejuvenate the beneficial microbes and move the composting process along. It boosts the health and vitality of your plants, and will even improve the taste of your garden produce. It makes reading a very frustrating experience. Urine should not be stored for a long time. Ensure that you monitor the moisture regularly and you can pee on the compost accordingly. Oh, you are handy enough? Just remember to always ask them politely, and bring a clean bucket for the coffee grounds. If you think about it, this practice saves using fresh, clean water to flush it away and does not pollute natural watercourses. Too much nitrogen-rich green material will see your compost heap emit a smell of ammonia. On the homestead, alfalfas nutritious foliage makes excellent forage and feed for chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, and many other barnyard animals. Urine is effectively sterile, which means it doesnt transmit pathogens and disease, so long as you eat a healthy diet and dont take medication. It is compacted soil from the car. Even quicker still is the Berkley Method for compost in as little as two weeks. Here we will look at the reasons why urine (from humans or pets) make a great compost accelerator and some of the logistics. Your email address will not be published. I enjoyed reading that. Construct the compost pile in layers. Tip: If you live near a farm, used straw animal bedding has precisely the same valuable combination. I use mine on the grass and then I use grass clippings 4 mulch. Place a handful of garden soil or finished compost into to your new compost pile to start the composting process. The optimal time to collect urine for your pile is in the morning when urea concentrations are at their maximum. You can add these fallen leaves to your compostso long as you have not left the leaves on the ground too long. Of course, our healthy bodies produce a cleaner, organic version, and its of such high quality we have to dilute it in order not to burn our plants. I pee in an old Clorox bleach plastic container. This is at no extra cost to you. Urine can go straight into the bin or pile, as the uric acid in it will help speed up the decomposing process. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. So many home composts are not strong enough when it comes to plant-fertilizing power, and adding urine is a fantastic way to boost plant nutrients without having to pee directly on your garden, and to capture your personal nutrients during the season the plants aren't actively needing nutrients,' adds Alexia. Find out more about hydrated white lime. Saving your pee for the compost pile is alsomore ecological! Alexia Allen from Hawthorn Farm recommends a method of making a big pile of leaves and then adding urine to it over winter. Obviously, the first step is to search for an accelerator that contains millions of bacteria in a dry form. That accounts for over 90% of what we are peeing. This risk makes the method you collect the urine important when you intend to use it for composting. Human urine is beneficial as part of a composting system as it has a high nitrogen content along with containing potassium and phosphorus. The more people that do this, the better. Once the grass is in the compost, turn it after the first 24 hours. Blood meal has an N-P-K of 12-0-0, making it one of the richest organic sources of nitrogen. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Hi, Im Anthony.Im fascinated by composting! Urea is widely used as a fertilizer in agriculture. If you are new to composting, it might take a while to know exactly what you are looking for but with some practice and experience it will come! The boost in nitrogen should also liven up the mulch and soil life beneath. These are in powder form, and are dropped into the bottle twenty-four hours before use. It gives you valuable insight into the soils starting point. I have increased my composting during this severe California drought. I use it, diluted 1:4 with water, to fertilise all my plants, veggies, fruit trees and flowers the same. However, this practice should be done with care to prevent contamination by pathogens or creating too much nitrogen content in the composting process. I keep a #10 can with a plastic lid to seal it (minimize odors) in the garage for collection during the day. When you use muriatic acid to speed up the compost process, it has a positive impact on the product. Its easy to acquire too non-coffee drinkers can snag a few bags of spent coffee grounds courtesy of their local coffee shops. Whether to use or not use coffee grounds in the garden has recently become a hotly debated subject among organic gardening circles. How do I use my urine? 3 Benefits Of Urine For Your Compost Pile 1. It is perfectly normal to be impatient when you start composting. I add a little phosphoric acid to my pee bottles, which lowers pH and inhibits conversion of urea to ammonia, conserving nitrogen. I know I was ready to spend a good chunk of change when I first got started in an effort to expedite things and ended up buying two different tumblers, an aerator, and several compost accelerators. It is not referred to as liquid gold for nothing! To get a little more technical, urine is mostly water with trace minerals and vitamins dissolved into it. Compost will break down most efficiently between 150F to 160F (65C to 71C). The bacteria and fungi in the compost need moisture to work effectively and a dry heap will stop breaking down. People who have been gardening for a long time are aware that peeing in the compost is one of the best things to do. The uric acid in urine accelerates compost decomposition. Without it, they are unable to reproduce. Unlike the promises given on other sites, I wont promise that your compost will all-of-a-sudden take off or that youll have compost in 14 days from now. Start with a small amount just a teaspoon or two and turn the pile well. A compost accelerator will introduce dormant microbes in a significantly large number to speed up that initial process. This compost accelerator comes in a much larger package, 3 packs of 2-pound bags, that will surely last you a long time. Yeast is a fungus and the majority of decomposition in your pile is performed by bacteria. Note: Its always a good idea to test your garden soil before treating it. Good article once I finally was able to get through it! Can I Sunbathe Nude In My Own Backyard? Does anybody have any ideas about this? Where can I buy it? Dont panic when your compost pile slows down. Urine should be added in moderation to compost as it does have high salt levels. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. An example of this was previously done by the National Trust (opens in new tab) in the UK. On the one hand, used coffee grounds are a great source of nitrogen that will certainly rouse a sleepy compost heap. Use these additions to heat your compost pile to rejuvenate the beneficial microbes and move the composting process along. In the natural world, the decomposition of plant and animal matter into rich and fertile topsoil is a very, very slow process. My urine goes into a biogas digester I built in my back yard. Can you recycle urine and add benefits to your composting process? When urine is diluted, its aces for helping the garden thrive; however, in its pure form, the stuff is just far too potent for little plants to deal with. Adding urine to a new compost pile is similar to adding acommercial compost acceleratorto boost the process. How else can we dispose of them? For example, shredded cardboard has a very high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (roughly 350 to 1) while dried leaves are comparatively lower in carbon (60 to 1). Composting was always important in the places he worked at and each had bays to produce their own compost in-house for use around the gardens. Pee 1x daily? Not only is it rich in nitrogen, but it can also speed up the composting process there are two big positives that it offers. Grass has an N-P-K value of 4-1-2 when its still green and moist and fresh. Get the latest permaculture news stories straight in your inbox, The Advanced Permaculture Student Teacher's Guide, The Permaculture Student 2: A Collection of Regenerative Solutions (eBook), https://www.goveganic.net/article217.html, Espalier An Ancient Perennial Edible Art Project, The Australians who pioneered self-sufficiency, generations beforeNimbin, Agroforestry 101: Everything You Need to Know, The Environmental Benefits Of Donating Your Things. Sometimes, even the best-maintained compost system gets out of balance. Try adding urine if your compost bin is slow to break down your compost material. But first, a slight deviation. Tip: The best time to use urine as an activator or accelerator for a compost pile is in the early morning, when the uric acid levels in your urine are at their highest. One of my neighbours said people traditionally peed on lemon trees. While the exact ingredients differ, there are five main parts of any compost catalyst: The entire purpose of a catalyst is to create an environment that fosters an explosion of beneficial growth. Because of its higher nitrogen content, alfalfa is a good ingredient to get a compost cooking. Last week, my husband and I visited Kailash Ecovillage in Portland, Oregon. Freshly cut grass clippings added to the compost heap will turn a sluggish pile into a hot mess in no time. I am pleased & proud that social constraints do not affect my ability to make the most of such a valuable resource. Urine makes a fantastic compost accelerator. Another effective method of using urine in compost is to lay out some straw pee bales and urinate on them throughout the day as needed. Here is their website: https://www.kailashecovillage.org/, Brilliant. The use of fresh water to simply flush away urine is a crime in my mind, the amount of pharmaceuticals in the rivers, streams and the coastal regions are causing huge affects on the flora and fauna. Straw bales can be used to urinate on and then mixed into a compost heap. Synthetic urea has come to occupy the largest space in chemical fertilizers. Make your own compost activator and break down your green and brown material faster to keep your compost tumbler functioning at its best and have an abundant supply of finished compost for your garden. If you are planning a kitchen garden, then it may be worth considering putting urine in compost. Stir until the solution is thoroughly mixed, and spray or pour it over the compost pile. 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