Only collect urine when you pee and use a separate container, such as a bottle with a lid. 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 then gets added to a watering can and diluted about 10:1 for fertilizing veggies, fruit trees, addition to the compost pile, or whatever else needs fertilizing (although I havent used it on the grass yet). However the compaction and lack of nutrient there is a problem. But lets face it They are also poop machines! If you are new to composting there is some beginners info here. Composting is an intelligent way to cut down on food waste and generate free natural and organic fertilizer for your garden. Whichever method one chooses, itll be necessary to reapply the urine after a rain or watering. 3 Benefits Of Urine For Your Compost Pile 1. The beneficial bacteria in your compost heap process organic material by performing aerobic respiration. In fact, it may be your most valuable source of free composting material! It loses its nitrogen content as it dries so its best to toss grass clippings in the compost immediately after mowing the lawn. If you host a barbecue or an informal party, put a little sign in the bathroom and ask if the guys wouldn't mind peeing on the compost pile instead. If the compost doesnt heat up within 24 to 48 hours, add a little more. Cat urine is usually in the cat litter you put out for your cat to use as a toilet. Recycling your urine also has environmental benefits, such as using less water in the toilet. Quick Return Organic Compost Activator is a widely used pre-made herbal accelerator. For a pile to heat up and stay hot throughout the entire composting process, it needs: Smaller compost piles wont retain heat as efficiently as larger ones. If so, how should you do it, and are there any dangers when adding urine to 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. Of course, if done without regard to the weather forecast, a rain could dilute it, and the plan might backfire and encourage the weeds to grow. Try adding urine if your compost bin is slow to break down your compost material. He has gone on to work as a professional gardener in historic gardens across the UK and also specialise as a kitchen gardener growing vegetables, fruit, herbs, and cut flowers. What is ash? Your email address will not be published. (The Ideal Solution)Continue. Affiliate Disclaimer: Tipsbulletin.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, A homemade compost accelerator usually works by supporting these microbes as they hasten the decomposition process or by correcting an imbalance in your piles carbon to nitrogen ratio, whether you are. Each 6- to 8-inch-layer of plant material should be topped with 1 inch of soil or compost. Homes & Gardens is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Male horticulture staff members have access to "pee bales" that are provided by the National Trust in England in strategic public . Designing A Permaculture Backyard: How To Deal With Waste, The Lies That Keep You Trapped in Not Enough Time, Street Trees and Plants of Rome Italy 2022, The Rebellion Hypothesis: Extinction Rebellion and Civil Disobedience, Ecovillage Future: And How Access to Land is a Barrier, Post-Capitalism by Design not Disaster: A Grassroots Theory of Change, Life in Degrowth Economy: Envisioning a Prosperous Descent, Morocco Observations, Past, Present and Future Part I. 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. Still, others should not since they contain synthetic materials that will not break down in your compost. Many everyday items are ideal to use as a compost accelerator as a. Urea is widely used as a fertilizer in agriculture. After all, not all plants can grow under conifer trees, so it made, Read More Composting Pine Needles A Beginners GuideContinue, If, like myself, you compost a lot of your kitchen waste, you inevitably ask yourself whether you can compost dairy products like cheese, cream, or even milk. This is at no extra cost to you. Cut grass decomposes rapidly once in the pile. As a Fertilizer Along with its tendency to stick together and form clumps, grass clippings can create anaerobic conditions that will cause the entire compost to smell. If youre familiar with compost tea, youll see how similar this recipe is. Easy. However, the amount of urine should be regulated depending on the plant. Plus, its a great excuse to have another beer. In fact, it can be used in many different ways for boosting production. 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. Urine is such a good compost accelerator as it gives the compost a nitrogen boost. Looking online you do see some other recommendations for using pee in the garden. Sometimes, even the best-maintained compost system gets out of balance. Many everyday items are ideal to use as a compost accelerator as a way to make compost faster so you can put it out in the garden. When composting fresh feathers to heat up a pile, soak them in a bucket of water for 24 hours before tossing them in. Thanks!!! I live remotely on acreage. Once the bucket of ashes was thoroughly soaked it was diluted (considerably) and used on the vegetable patches as fertiliser, Having read above that urine and wood ash make a useful combination I wonder if the wise old gardeners of 80 years ago knew somehow how beneficial it was. Luckily, this process can be sped up with the introduction of different substances. If you are already confident that you have the basics of your composting method correct and think that its a bit too much effort to brew up a homemade starter, there are a few other things you can do if you want faster results. When mixed with animal manure into a slurry it makes high quality cooking gas and the liquid outflow diluted with about 4parts water goes on to my suburban permaculture jungle. If so, do you ever toss in a tea bag or two? These high concentrations can result in high salt and nitrogen levels which will be toxic to plants. Believe it or not, bird feathers are an amazingly rich source of nitrogen. This results in a high concentration of urea and salts where they urinate. Human excrements are rich in nitrogen (urine) and organic matter (faeces). Being free and readily available, whats not to like?! Ensure the beer and cola are at room temperature or slightly warmer, and add them to the bucket with the other ingredients. The amount of urine added to the compost would be too much. To get a little more technical, urine is mostly water with trace minerals and vitamins dissolved into it. Suppose you rake up the fallen leaves in your garden. Wonderful. This is, generally, the basis for compost activators/accelerators. Add your newly created compost started to your compost pile or tumbler (youll obviously need to adjust the amount you add based on the volume of your compost). Directly depositing this precious resource on the pile can start to speed things up and add moisture. The high nitrogen content boosts the action of the decomposition by microbes. However, following the guidelines above, its a great way to add nitrogen and trace minerals to your compost. If it does not ooze water, or have a crumbly texture you should be on the right track. Whatever we find ourselves doing with our pee, the main point of it all is that we really should use it in some way. Similarly, legend has itand this widely disputedthat urine can be and has been used to help with curing human fungal problems, like athletes foot. Finished compost with an excessively high salt content can be detrimental when added to your plants, causing the plants to lose health or die. Signs of an imbalanced compost pile include slow decomposition and chunks of unprocessed waste. I JUST DID THIS LAST MONTH. An herbal compost activator usually contains a mixture of the following seven ingredients: yarrow, chamomile, dandelion, oak bark, valerian, nettle and honey. Urine is effective as a compost ingredient because of its mineral and vitamin content, the concentrated amounts of nitrogen-rich urea, and the water content. Skip unknown ingredients and toxic compounds and rely on a straightforward homemade mixture to renew your pile. Yet, its discouraging when your pile stops efficiently breaking down your food and garden waste. Oh, you are handy enough? England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Beer is added in the hopes of putting two things into your pile: yeast and sugar. Compost activators, also known as compost accelerators, help to speed up the decomposition process. Theres just so much nitrogen and acid that the plants burn out. Ultimately it may depend on how private your heap is or how bold you are as a person. Now that we are on the same page as to ingredients and aims, lets look at our specific recipe and method for a homemade compost accelerator: *Bonus Step If you want to create the most beneficial microbial community possible, aerate your catalyst using a fish tank pump. Making quality compost takes a long time (see just how long it will take you) and it will probably take you several weeks before you notice any significant changes. Automatic kitchen composting with Lomi If you want to speed up your composting process, composting with Lomi is a great option. I can certainly appreciate this article and feel like this has so much more importance than might have been stated! Picking up after them can be a tiresome chore. How to Speed Up Composting Without Using a Compost Starter This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. After that, add cola for the carbon source needed to increase the number of bacteria. Others prefer a more exacting method of tossing 2 to 3 buckets of carbon for each bucket of nitrogen. So, while there are uses for beer in your garden, adding it to your compost starter is not one of them. The N stands for nitrogen, the P for potassium, and the K for phosphorus. It also contains a decent amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium amongst many other components. Take note that urine is considered a "green" in composting, since it is high in nitrogen. How To Plant an Asparagus Bed Plant Once & Harvest For 30+ Years. A continuous composting dry toilet seeks to recreate the necessary conditions for an efficient composting process. Freshly cut grass clippings added to the compost heap will turn a sluggish pile into a hot mess in no time. More than 30% of our garbage is compostable food leftovers and yard debris. Use these additions to heat your compost pile to rejuvenate the beneficial microbes and move the composting process along. Also it is readily-available, free, and incredibly easy to add to any compost heap. Lindsay Sheehan is a writer, researcher, and lifelong gardener who loves little more than the thrill of nurturing living things from dormant seed. Though it might seem counterintuitive, urine is a free compost accelerator and works surprisingly well to stimulate the decomposition process. It gives you valuable insight into the soils starting point. Urine will vary in concentration due to different factors such as dehydration and time of day but the ratio of 10 parts water to one part urine is often recommended. Turned every other day, three weeks. Can I Sunbathe Nude In My Own Backyard? ANSWER: Yes, as funny as it may sound, human urine is rich in nitrogen and should actually be added to compost regularly instead of flushing down the toilet, which is also a waste of water resources. Turn or tumble weekly and add brown to green materials in a 3:1 ratio to keep the composting process moving. This blog is about sharing everything that Ive learned in the hopes that it will help others discover the amazing rewards of composting More about me Legal Information: Help Me Compost is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com. adding urine to compost Compost is an organic matter that is used to enrich the soil and promote plant growth. 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). Provide Nutrients. The addition of nitrogen drives the decomposition of the brown or carbon elements in the compost pile. Most often, the reason a compost heap slows to a crawl is an improper balance between nitrogen and carbon materials in the pile. Its easy to acquire too non-coffee drinkers can snag a few bags of spent coffee grounds courtesy of their local coffee shops. Composted coffee grounds boosted the growth and yield of beets, cabbages, and soybeans in one experiment, while in another it hindered the development of alfalfa, clover, and Chinese mustard. To lower it, add animal urine (sold at many garden stores) or other nitrogen-rich substances. I have worked doing repairs in local sewer treatment plants and have seen the vast amounts of water needed to be processed. latest news on alan alda; heart evangelista parents and siblings random package from am conservation group urine compost accelerator. The boost in nitrogen should also liven up the mulch and soil life beneath. Urine in compost can accelerate your heap and provide a huge boost of nitrogen. To raise the pH of your compost, add lime. 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. I AM 85 AND I DO NOT TAKE ANY MEDICINE. The fundamentals of a productive compost pile is achieving the proper volume, striking the right balance between carbon and nitrogen, always keeping it moist, and turning it over frequently. Well written. 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. Place a handful of garden soil or finished compost into to your new compost pile to start the composting process. The main issue to consider when putting urine on compost is the ratio of green and brown materials that you have in the heap. But is floss biodegradable? If you are planning a kitchen garden, then it may be worth considering putting urine in compost. You might be able to collect this for use in composting. These are in powder form, and are dropped into the bottle twenty-four hours before use. The green nitrogen-rich pee perfectly balances the brown carbon straw material. Is Play Doh biodegradable? This will give you a more complete composting. Nevertheless, the idea remains that urine is something else we should be thinking about. Urine is a Compost Booster Try adding urine if your compost bin is slow to break down your compost material. Your goal in this process is for your liquid mixture to grow yeast and adapt the wanted bacteria. As they load the page resizes to accommodate. Adding pee to a compost piletoo frequently will result in a build-up of saltsin the compost, which can lead to a toxic environment for the microbes doing the decomposing, slowing, or stopping the composting process. Some people consider cotton burr compost as a bit of a miracle compost solution! Good compost needs the right mix of nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich ingredients. Keep turning it frequently in the coming days to prevent the grass from clumping together. Urine is suitable for your compost, but as we know, too much of a good thing can become detrimental when used in excess. However, pee is a waste product and a method our bodies use to eliminate excess salts and other wastes, including heavy metals. Although feathers are fibrous, insoluble, and resistant to degradation outside of the compost, inside the heap they will be exposed to keratin-decomposing microorganisms that will break them down completely. If you have a urinary tract infection you may want to avoid adding your urine to the compost pile to avoid unwanted bacteria being added. I just follow the recipe and, if the cookies are good, I chalk it up as a success. Grab a handful (make sure you have gloves on especially important due to what we are adding to this particular pile) and give it a squeeze. If you keep backyard chickens or ducks, youll surely have an endless supply of moult to feed the compost. The goal of compost piles or a compost bin for the kitchen is to speed the decay of organic matter into finished compost with the help of microorganisms. I dont only use fresh urine, it often is 4 or 5 weeks old before I get round to using that particular bottle the plants love it just the same as if it were fresh. Thanks for the article. Also, metabolites of some medications can be found in your urine if you are on any meds you may need to do a bit of further research! Knowing this, if there is a particularly problematic spot with weeds, it possible to use 100% urine to try to get rid of the issue. This 12-0-0 slow release fertilizer is made by heating and sterilizing poultry feathers with steam pressure cookers. 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. But if youre like me (impatient) and want something that will move the needle, weve got a method. (Amazon). Is urine 'green' or 'brown' compost ingredient? You can choose to add either natural or commercial activators to boost the nitrogen levels within the compost. That accounts for over 90% of what we are peeing. Note: Its always a good idea to test your garden soil before treating it. A slow decomposition rate is simply a symptom and adding a starter will likely do nothing but mask that symptom for a bit. Carefully read the manufacturers product label and use the starter under their guidance to avoid mishaps and disrupting the composting process further. Glad to know I am not the only one doing this. 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. Can it be composted. 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. As with adding anything to your pile it is not an exact science trial and error will be required. If the rain does not come every couple of days I water (dilute) it with regular garden watering. I keep a #10 can with a plastic lid to seal it (minimize odors) in the garage for collection during the day. In truth, theres an even simpler way: patience. Alexia Allen (opens in new tab) from Hawthorn Farm, a garden and homestead consultant in Woodinville, WA, describes urine as a fantastic nitrate fertilizer and adds that of course the price is right. This Spanish-revival style home was built in 2022, but filled with antiques and one-off buys it has a strong sense of history, If your strawberries aren't growing how you expected, one of these common mistakes could be to blame, By Drew Swainston With over 1500 reviews, high-quality ingredients, and verifiable warmth-keeping during the winter, this is a great option for more diehard composters. (Tested & Answered), How To Compost Corn Stalks & Cobs (Easiest & Fastest Way), How Big Of A Compost Tumbler Do I Need? A compost accelerator will introduce dormant microbes in a significantly large number to speed up that initial process. I pee into a 6 litre bottle and keep it closed until Im ready to use it. In England, the National Trust for Nature provides a plant "pee bale" in strategic locations in . Incorporating Urine into a compost pile is a great . Have a great day and thanks for the info! Once diluted the micturition mixture, or tinkle tincture if you like, should be applied within twenty-four hours of the urine being expelled. Ideally, you want a 2:1 ratio of brown-to-green. A compost heap turned daily will yield finished humus in two weeks. After enough has been gathered I bring both to the compost pile. The high nitrogen and salt levels will make the environment in the compost pile toxic, and the decomposition process will slow down or halt altogether. As a guideline, Master Gardener Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott of Washington State University recommends keeping the total volume of coffee grounds in the compost between 10% and 20%. Sometimes, even the best-maintained compost system gets out of balance. Some recommend watered-down urine diluted with 10 parts water as a great feed for plants in container gardens, while others claim you can put urine on mulches like leaf mulch or wood chip to speed up their decomposition. I also throw used toilet paper into a bag. We also know that our nitrogen elements are the fuel that drives the decomposition of carbon materials, and thats where pee can start to help. Dairy seems to be one of the food types that traditional, Read More Composting Dairy Products (The Truth about Dairy in Compost)Continue, A dog can be a faithful companion, and most of us love our pets dearly. As a result, itshould not be stored for longer than 24 hoursbefore being used in your compost or garden. No spam! Urine compost accelerator is one of the most popular. Brilliant. The optimal time to collect urine for your pile is in the morning when urea concentrations are at their maximum. Below Ill give you the answers to these piddling composting questions and some additional handy tips for this unusual compost ingredient! Dilute one part urine to 10-15 parts water for application on plants in the growth stage. Human Urine for Compost, Start to Finish OrganicGarden123 8.28K subscribers 297K views 13 years ago Urine adds Nitrogen and Water to your compost. Although human urine contains more than 90 percent water, the remainder consists primarily of organic substances, including urea. This one will be a little easier for the fellasbut with a jar or bottle, anyone can contribute their "spare nitrogen" to the compost pile. Use these additions to heat your compost pile to rejuvenate the beneficial microbes and move the composting process along. Bird feathers are made up of approximately 90% keratin proteins and have nitrogen content between 12% and 15%. Too much nitrogen and the pile will start to stink; too much carbon and decomposition will slow down dramatically. Some folks find it easiest to add browns and greens in equal volume, adjusting amounts as they go along. Its simple enough to avoid this by thoroughly mixing grass clippings with brown materials before adding it to the pile. Please spread the information. It is perfectly normal to be impatient when you start composting. Not to mention the drinking water which gets turned gray. The more microorganisms at work breaking down the materials, the faster the compost is made. ANSWER: Yes, unbelievably, human urine is rich in nitrogen and should be added to compost regularly instead of flushing down the toilet. Urine makes a fantastic compost accelerator. I read that 75% of anything we ingest in the way of meds is flushed out via urine and thus people should be made aware that we are are putting into our system will be coming out too so keep that in mind while using urine or allowing unknown public folks to add to your mix. However, if you have already added a lot of nitrogen-rich matter like grass clippings, then this . I did not find any odor or flies in or near the Urination Station. Composting is a fantastic way to reuse and recycle organic waste like kitchen scraps, grass clipping material, and dry leaves. And because Im an avid composter, I often look at things around me differently. One of the best and most simple compost accelerators is hydrated white lime. Urine Compost Accelerator. So can you compost dairy products? Construct the compost pile in layers. Whether you compost to enrich your garden soil, make compost tea, or dispose of your kitchen waste responsibly, its crucial to keep the composting process moving. Very nice article! I am not seeing the issues that you have raised, so that we can look into this could you please email through a screen shot of the issue you are seeing and let us know what device and browser you are using. Posted on Published: May 24, 2021- Last updated: August 17, 2021. personally I have made every effort to avoid water bowls connected to our oceans for the last 25 yrs and quite proud of the amount of water I have not used for that purpose!!! Hot composting relies on the perfect conditions inside your compost heap, tumbler, or bin to make an ideal environment for decomposition. Tip: If you live near a farm, used straw animal bedding has precisely the same valuable combination. Either directly or collect it in a container. Once the grass is in the compost, turn it after the first 24 hours. Heres our guide to using blood meal in the vegetable garden. But how, if at all, do they affect the environment? Beer yeast in particular has no place in your compost because it is specialized for fermentation, not breaking down lignins or metabolizing cellulose. Alfalfa blooms with pretty lavender flowers from June to September and these are very attractive to pollinators and other beneficial insects throughout the growing season. Good luck collecting the urine though. I have been saving urine and pouring it on my compost pile. Ive been doing this for years and there is NO odor. Finding the right balance isnt too difficult because the compost pile will always tell you what it needs. 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. With your compost pile not activating or starting to break down it could be something as simple as too much carbon and not enough nitrogen on in the pile. I like their transparency and that they use a 100% bio-organic mix. However, it is OK to use elsewhere in your gardens, such as flowering plants and lawns. Water is the main ingredient, which helps keep the compost pile moist and provides a suitable environment for the microbes responsible for decomposition. Compost is miraculous stuff. Wait the requisite 24 to 48 hours and if the pile hasnt gotten hot, toss in another cup. As urine is so rich in nitrogen, you must ensure that you add even more brown material to counteract it. Every three days, a month. This step will not only weigh them down so they dont blow away in the wind, pre-soaking feathers will also help them decompose just a little bit faster. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is an incredibly useful little plant to grow. This liquid nitrogen is the fastest method to ignite a slow compost pile. 3) Deliver nutrients to the soil. Obviously, the stiff shot of nitrogen and a bit of moisture both help, and the uric acid (urea) is also very beneficial. I knew about the nitrogen part but didnt know about the ammonia. Unlike solid waste, urine applied to gardens doesnt come with the risk of pathogens; rather, it is just, some would say, pure gold. Urine, oddly enough, can be used to help clean things up. In this article, well look at precisely what cotton burr compost is and why you, Read More What Is Cotton Burr Compost? So it can kickstart the decomposition process in a slow compost pile. If you add cat litter to your compost, you should not use the resulting compost to fertilize food crops. Blood meal has an N-P-K of 12-0-0, making it one of the richest organic sources of nitrogen. I SAVE MY MORNING PEE AND POUR SOME OVER MY COMPOST PILE AND POUR SOME IN MY 20 BY 4 FEET PLANTER WHERE THERE ARE NO VEGETABLES GROWIN WITHIN 12 INCHES. Urine is perfectly fine for compost, however it is too strong in nitrogen to add directly to many live plants. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury,