To pee or not to pee

News of the value of human urine as a compost activator usually provokes cries of disbelief and often horror from those new to the concept. But urine is virtually sterile, high in nitrogen and minerals, and there's no shortage of it around: what better way of saving water on toilet flushes and helping your compost break down? And certain male gardeners have assured me that it's quite liberating to make an al-fresco "delivery" to your composter once in a while.

Unless your compost heap is extremely well concealed from the rest of the human race, you may wish to consider collecting your "activator" in a (preferably opaque) plastic bottle to take down to the plot rather than adding it directly. If all this sounds, well, just too weird, you can grow nitrogen-rich comfrey or nettles to cut and add to the heap, and the end result will be exactly the same.

But I'd like to know: how many of you out there use urine as a compost activator? And do you let your visitors into your little secret before or after they've finished your delicious vegetables?

Or have you found another source of nitrogen that works for you? Come on now, don't be shy - share your compost tips ...

Comments

[Laurie]

I better not show this entry to my husband. He might start getting ideas...

[Amy Stewart]

My compost heap has turned into a playground for my chickens. They love to dig around in it and find worms and bugs. It's bad enough that they scratch around in there after I've just added bedding and manure from their coop--I'd hate to have them encountering pee as well. So I've passed on this idea.

[Tom]

I have found that newspaper soaked in rabbit-pee makes an excellent addition to my compost heap. Not so much as a heap activator (we tend to have a surplus of leafy green material) but as an effective method of adding more ‘brown’ material to the heap. The pee acts as a ‘local’ activator to help break down the paper - a paper-shredder would also do, but the kids preferred a rabbit as a pet.

The other ahem! contents of the litter tray are also a welcome addition as the rabbit in effect acts as a pre-processor for some of our kitchen and garden waste.

So the next time a newspaper annoys, don’t send a letter to the editor, instead line a suitable container with the offending paper and think of the compose heap ;-)

[Anonymous]

Oh dear. Yes, I hold my hands up. And I would recommend nighttime "delivery", possibly after a few glasses of wine to counter the fear of a neighbour being out in their garden with a torch. I do however have very tolerant neighbours who are used to my trips to the chicken pen garbed in pyjamas wellies and headtorch so I probably shouldn't worry. Can't see what the problem is to be honest.

[aidan]

too funny! i live in the city, but we have planted a corkscrew willow in a patch of soil left in the concrete sidewalk in front of our apartment. the neighborhood dogs urinate freely on it, and the willow has grown like a weed this summer, with dark green foliage.

i have read that in ancient egypt, the urine of pregnant women would lead to germination of barley seeds (perhaps because of certain hormonal growth factors), while that of nonpregnant women did not, thus providing a fairly accurate pregnancy test.

fun times with urine.

[enrique]

Read your amusing post following the lead from the Carnival of Green. Carol Steinfeld author of Liquid Gold, is something of a "pee and poo specialist" having authored books on the gardening benefits of Number One and Number Two respectively.

[Simon]

Yes, I collect my pee in plastic bottles and tip it on when full. Saves a considerable percentage of water useage as I live on my own.
I would also add the sight and feel of a 2litre bottle-full gives me a strange satisfaction.
This is my confession.

[Juli Lawrence]

Just found your wonderful blog and thought I'd weigh in. I do sometimes collect urine in a covered bucket and add to the compost pile. But it's my little secret. Don't think my neighbors would approve - they think the whole compost/organic thing is a bit daffy anyway.

I also sometimes collect cat clumps, as I call them. Our cats use World's Best Cat Litter, which is 100 percent corn (more nitrogen!), and I'm lucky enough that both cats use one box for pee and another for poop. Otherwise, it gets flushed. Why not add it to the pile!

I'm not sure why people are so squeamish about urine, and yet have no qualms digging around in animal manure. But it took me awhile to get over it myself. Now I just think of it as another way to recycle. :)