Endlessly fascinated by the natural world and especially fond of native species, she is always on the hunt for new ideas and techniques surrounding organic gardening, permaculture, and environmental sustainability. Only collect urine when you pee and use a separate container, such as a bottle with a lid. Urine is suitable for your compost, but as we know, too much of a good thing can become detrimental when used in excess. Adding compost accelerator, like green organic waste to your large pile will add a boost of microbes to help the composting Human urine, when put on a compost pile undiluted, speeds up the decomposition of carbons and boosts the composts nutritional content. Compost accelerators, compost starters, and other similar products work by adding more nitrogen to your composting pile. The pee you do not use in your compost can be applied directly to the garden bydiluting it in the ratio of 10 parts water to 1 part urine. Active microorganisms need a moist environment. Cut grass decomposes rapidly once in the pile. So why would people want to use urine in compost? WebComposting Wood Chips With Urea (Urine) Compost-grade urea is available as a compost accelerator from most garden centers. This philosophy also spills over into lifestyle through a return to our ancestral roots by becoming more self-reliant, wasting nothing, and living simply. When youve mixed your ingredients, you have the perfect jump starter for any compost heap: It adds moisture, holds important nutrients, and encourages the growth of both bacteria and fungi that are needed for the decomposition process. In fact, it may be your most valuable source of free composting material! If youre already swimming in a sea of greens, adding more urine to the pile may be pointless. 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. Blood meal is also the perfect foil for a lethargic compost pile. Sinceyou have no controlover your pets urine or know if the animals are entirely healthy, you should add pet urine to compost with caution. The accelerator powder contains bacteria and other microorganisms that break down organic matter. There is an increase in the soils ability to hold air and water, as well as an improvement in its physical and chemical qualities. Yet, despite the incredible results of recent studies, Americans are peeing away enough nitrogen to feed 12 million acres of corn per year. Keeping your compost moist and damp (as well as turning regularly to aerate it) is one of the most important things you can do. My husband says he should pee in the compost pile and it will make better compost, but thats disgusting! Human urine may also deter rodents and other pests from disturbing your pile. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. ), Compost Materials Chart (List of Ingredients). Urine is a natural and inexpensive way to increase your composts moisture and mineral content, particularly nitrogen. Now that weve talked about the rosy side of adding urine to your compost, lets step back into reality (and the bathroom) and hit a few of the concerns. Compost accelerator really does accelerate compost. Step 4: Toss your compost for even distribution, Homemade vs. store-bought compost accelerators. A DIY compost accelerator rebalances your system, supports the existing microbes, or encourages new ones to increase the rate at which finished compost is produced. How much water do you put in a compost bin? Its not the sort of thing I would normally bother with, as the Really Lazy Composter rarely wants to fiddle with measuring things out into watering cans. Urea is used as fertilizer in agriculture. Carefully read the manufacturers product label and use the starter under their guidance to avoid mishaps and disrupting the composting process further. So, if you add urine to your compost, you run the risk of creating less-than-ideal growing conditions for your plants over the course of several years due to the buildup of salts and heavy metals in the soil. So should you just throw it directly onto earth, or is it better to put it in compost? 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 using a compost tumbler, bin, or have a pile in the yard. Adding urine to your compost is a free and non-toxic method of adding moisture and essential minerals, such as nitrogen, to your pile. Finished compost with an excessively high salt content can be detrimental when added to your plants, causing the plants to lose health or die. When you see the benefits you wont be able to get enough of it! Ideally, composting materials should be between 40 and 60 percent water. As long as you are not on any medications, it is perfectly okay to urinate on your compost. Nitrogen-rich compost materials are typically the greens that are added to a compost heap. More than 30% of our garbage is compostable food leftovers and yard debris. The beneficial bacteria in your compost heap process organic material by performing aerobic respiration. And it does worksometimes. The urine is sent off to a separate storage container via a small hose connection. If your compost heap gets too much moisture, the decomposition process slows down. 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. Regular aeration will also keep the clippings better distributed throughout the pile. Whether grown fresh in the garden or purchased as alfalfa meal, its a wonderful all-purpose fertilizer with an N-P-K of roughly 3-1-2. The other option is to pure the ingredients into a 15 gallon bucket of water and then use a watering can to distribute the mix over the composting materials. For this purpose, you could use hay bales or get an insulated compost bin. So, go tinkle on a compost pile instead of in the toilet. Can I put old potting soil in my compost? So in an effort to provide, Read More Compost Materials Chart (List of Ingredients)Continue. A simple and rapidsoil testing kit like this oneis all you need. When something goes wrong, the breakdown of your garden and food waste may slow or halt altogether. As with used coffee grounds, hair is a great source of nitrogen for your compost heap. Human urine may also deter rodents and other pests from disturbing your pile. Therefore, urine may be applied directly to soil as a fertilizer when diluted with water. An obvious source of hair could be your local hair salon. Does urine speed up compost? WebAdd more green waste, or try a commercial activator or accelerator such as Garotta. Contender All Seasons Bokashi Compost Starter 2 lbs (1 Gallon) - Dry Bokashi Bran for Kitchen Compost Bin, Compost Food Pet Waste Quickly & Easily with Low Odor by SCD Probiotics 1,641 $1605 $15.25 with Subscribe & Save All these elements are necessary for the compost pile to function properly, and therefore all beneficial elements are described as compost accelerators or activators. Because of its higher nitrogen content, alfalfa is a good ingredient to get a compost cooking. And its free, readily available, and renewable! When it comes to keeping animals and pests out of their yard and garden, many gardeners swear by the use of urine. Nitrogen is vital for the bacteria that are needed for aerobic decomposition. Add part of a premade compost from an earlier batch, worm castings, garden soil, urine, or high-nitrogen teas to start the process. Some animals (raccoons in particular) are deterred by human urine. Urine is one of the ways the body rids itself of substances that it doesnt want (Im sure you can name the other way). What I do use is a compost thermometer. Take note that urine is considered a green in composting, since it is high in nitrogen. Wood ash in compost is a great way to mimic commercial fertilizers effects without adding any toxic chemicals typically found in them. In Japan and China, human feces was used as a traditional fertilizer up until World War II in Japan and until the 1960s in China, though using human manure is not recommended, thankfully, ugh. Therefore, you might want to know the answer to the question, Is adding urine to your compost advantageous or not? For that, lets delve deeper into the benefits and drawbacks of using urine in compost. To hurry up the process, use a little urine! Just remember to always ask them politely, and bring a clean bucket for the coffee grounds. If urine and ash or biochar can replace fertilizer entirely, imagine what urine and compost can do. Adding urine to your compost is a free and non-toxic method of adding moisture and essential minerals, such as nitrogen, to your pile. Urine can go straight into the bin or pile, as the uric acid in it will help speed up the decomposing process. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Continue to build the compost pile in layers until it Jobe's Organics Compost Starter 2. What compost accelerators do is promote the decomposition process by encouraging the growth of bacteria and fungi, which will help break down organic materials in your compost heap. Many great discoveries have happened accidentally? WebHuman Urine for Compost, Start to Finish OrganicGarden123 8.28K subscribers 297K views 13 years ago Urine adds Nitrogen and Water to your compost. According to The Grow Network, these 5 things are great compost boosters and are often completely free: Once youre done weeding your garden or mowing the lawn, save the clippings and add it to your pile. For this approach to work out in your favor, it is recommended to ask at a local independent grocery store / market, as big chains are generally more reluctant to give away old produce. Why Do I Keep Finding Peanut Shells in My Yard? Adding compost accelerator to your pile will add a boost of microbes to help the composting process. Or pee in a bucket and toss it on your compost when you can. This is the most important compost accelerator. You can use vegetable matter to fertilize your next generation of plants, but composting it takes time. 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). Try adding urine if your compost bin is slow to break down your compost material. The decomposition process is one of many wonders of nature, employing multiple elements to aid the process from start till end: When these elements are present in a compost heap, youll get perfect compost that will enhance the quality of your soil as you incorporate it into the ground. Adding urine can benefit your compost, but it also adds another layer of complexity to the composting process. These products are easy to obtain, and you likely have some of them at home. Heres our guide to using blood meal in the vegetable garden. Signs of an imbalanced compost pile include slow decomposition and chunks of unprocessed waste. Commercial boosters are less budget-friendly and variable in quality. Now, a sizable pile (like the kind you need for hot composting) needs a considerable amount of moisture. When one of these requirements goes awry, the system slows and may even stop breaking down organic matter completely. I wont deny that urine has some benefits in the garden and for your compost. Otherwise your compost heap could develop hot spots which, according to the Cornell Waste Management Institute, could cause some of the beneficial microorganisms to die off. When compared with manure, spent coffee grounds were much better at sustaining compost temperatures from 135F to 155 (57C to 68C) for at least two weeks. Stir until the solution is thoroughly mixed, and spray or pour it over the compost pile. If you find an old package of fertilizer in your shed that youre not sure if its any good you can toss it in to your compost pile and any nitrogen it has in it will help to accelerate the compost breakdown. If youre short on time or dont want to use a DIY idea to fix your sluggish compost pile, choose from an array of commercial products. In fact, compost accelerators can be made at home just as easily as going to the store and buying a premade product, and its worth knowing that a compost accelerator could actually be anything from coffee grounds to flat beer and water. )Continue, I have to admit Im a bit of a wine fan! By Sammie Dejesus | Submitted On July 01, 2009. Afterwards, you simply empty the tub in a drain and add the hair to your compost heap. Lets look at the issue more closely, starting with the good. A compost heap turned daily will yield finished humus in two weeks. Especially since my compost is destined for my vegetable garden (I dont pee there either), and I am extremely conscientious of what goes into my pile. Composting Wood Chips And Cow Manure (Or The more microorganisms at work breaking down the materials, the faster the compost is made. 8. Leave your bucket in a warm/sunny place for 24-48 hours. Compost will break down most efficiently between 150F to 160F (65C to 71C). Good compost should be about 40-60% water. Urine An underutilized, yet excellent source of nitrogen is within each of us. The N stands for nitrogen, the P for potassium, and the K for phosphorus. To process a pile of leaves or woody matter, apply blood meal at a rate of 2.5 ounces for each cubic yard of carbon materials. Long story short, you probably shouldnt be peeing on your compost every chance you get. Thriving Yard describes compost as the black gold of the gardening world, and this is entirely true. Urine will undoubtedly speed up the composting process by increasing nitrogen levels. This is especially true if you have nitrogen-deficient soil. Nepalese farmers have been taking a leak on their crops for centuries. As urea breaks down into ammonia, the odor becomes even more intolerable. 5 Reasons Why Avocado Leaves Are Dropping. Use these additions to heat your compost pile to rejuvenate the beneficial microbes and move the composting process along. How Often Do You Empty A Composting Toilet? If youre not making your own compost, youre going to spend a large chunk of money on store bought alternatives. When your hot compost pile starts to underperform, a homemade compost accelerator helps. Once youve gathered your ingredients, simply pour them all into the bucket. In that case, they will undoubtedly have dog urine on them if they have fallen in the spot where your dog typically urinates. They use it to make amino acids, complete proteins, and even their DNA. This results in a high concentration of urea and salts where they urinate. Keep the Right Moisture. The ideal ratio of browns to greens is 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. It boosts the health and vitality of your plants, and will even improve the taste of your garden produce. WebCompost Accelerator Dont forget your compost! This may seem like a lot, but considering that humans are about 60% water, that tells you that compost has a lot of room for a lot of water. And if Im out stirring up my compost and my hose isnt workingwho knows what might happen. Lindsay Sheehan is a writer, researcher, and lifelong gardener who loves little more than the thrill of nurturing living things from dormant seed. To counteract this, a healthy guy can generate enough urine annually to fertilize 1800 pounds of compost with nitrogen if he drinks plenty of browns. Even more intolerable breakdown of your garden produce aerobic decomposition them at home, or is better. An imbalanced compost pile instead of in the garden or purchased as alfalfa meal, its a wonderful fertilizer... Garden centers he should pee in the compost pile and it will speed... That case, they will undoubtedly have dog urine on them if they have fallen in the or... Thoroughly mixed, and bring a clean bucket for the bacteria that are added to a bin. Aerobic decomposition from disturbing your pile Continue to build the compost pile and my hose workingwho! 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