(Tested & Answered), How To Compost Corn Stalks & Cobs (Easiest & Fastest Way). Human urine, when put on a compost pile undiluted, speeds up the decomposition of carbons and boosts the composts nutritional content. A homemade compost starter boosts microbial activity and generates more finished compost and then you can make the, Privacy Policy GDPR Medical Disclaimer DMCA. However, Bio8 sent me some Envii compost accelerator tablets to review. One of the other concerns is that adding a significant amount of urine to your pile will reduce microbial diversity and allow acid-loving microbes to flourish. As previously mentioned in this article, keeping the right temperature is important for your microorganisms to thrive. All these elements are necessary for the compost pile to function properly, and therefore all beneficial elements are described as compost accelerators or activators. 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. In fact, the urine from all mammals plays an important role in the earths nitrogen cycle. 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). Each pile will receive a different amount of urine: 80 kg (1:0.5::woodchips:urine), 160 kg (1:1), and 240 kg (1:1.5). But many gardeners are reluctant to use this fantastic source in their composting. Theres something for every system, from a microbial inoculant to introduce new microbes to your compost bin to supportive nitrogen and carbon mixtures to jump-start the microbes you already have. Urine should not be stored for a long time. FarmerGrows.com is a participant of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program it is designed to provide an aid for the websites in earning an advertisement fee by means of advertising and linking to Amazon.com products. 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. We may earn affiliate commissions on purchases made from links on this page. The high nitrogen content boosts the action of the decomposition by microbes. This guide walks you through the fundamentals of homemade compost accelerators, the composting process and its main components (organic matter, moisture, oxygen, and bacteria), how long it takes to produce compost, and how to incorporate it in your garden. Urine stinks. WebUrine can act as a starter for a compost, encouraging the decomposition process, such as adding urine to a pile of leaves. If the temperature is constantly low, we recommend getting a black compost bin and moving it to a location with more direct sunlight. Alfalfa meal can be used proactively to heat a pile by sprinkling it between brown and green layers. Try These 7 Tips, Do Ants Like Coconut Oil? A study led by the University of Finland found that greenhouse tomatoes fed with a mix of human urine and ash produced nearly four times more tomatoes than plants that were not fed with urine and ash. If you have a lot of urine in your compost, it might not smell nice because of the ammonia. Too much nitrogen and the pile will start to stink; too much carbon and decomposition will slow down dramatically. 4.6 (1,408) $14995. With the knowledge we have of composting, we can safely say that compost accelerator products work, but whether theyre necessary or not depends on the condition of your compost heap. Theyll most likely have large bags full of hair, that you can get for free. On the other hand, scientific inquiries into incorporating coffee grounds into garden soil as a fertilizer, or mulch, or in the compost have had mixed results. As with used coffee grounds, hair is a great source of nitrogen for your compost heap. For example, Im forever asking myself, can I compost that? So, of course, that question naturally applies to, Read More Is Cork Compostable? The more frequently you turn the pile, the faster itll cook. The majority of plants pull nitrogen from the soil as they grow. This liquid nitrogen is the fastest method to ignite a slow compost pile. The recommended temperature is between 120 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The amount of urine added to the compost would be too much. The negligent owner lets the bin dry out. Exchanging raccoons for bears doesnt sound like a great game plan to me. Adding urine to your compost is a free and non-toxic method of adding moisture and essential minerals, such as nitrogen, to your pile. Use these additions to heat your compost pile to rejuvenate the beneficial microbes and move the composting process along. Recycling your urine also has environmental benefits, such as using less water in the toilet. The addition of urine to compost has both positive and negative effects. This philosophy also spills over into lifestyle through a return to our ancestral roots by becoming more self-reliant, wasting nothing, and living simply. We also recommend adding a layer of mature compost in between each layer of kitchen scraps and other organic waste, in order to keep the process as quick as possible. Well it turns out there are a few. According to the Henry Doubleday Research Associations Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, your compost pile is to be considered as a manufacturing plant whose sole purpose is to produce a high-quality compost that improves your soil and promotes better growth among your plants and crops. Fixing a slow pile is usually as simple as adding more nitrogen-rich materials to the pit. Some cat litter can be added to compost. Why Do I Keep Finding Peanut Shells in My Yard? Peeing on your compost pile helps break it down! You dont get to go on vacation though because you have to stay home and pee on your pile. Sometimes, even the best-maintained compost system gets out of balance. That means we get lots of nitrogen and bacteria that like This high plant diet makes their manure and urine good for composting. I find this useful (and fun) because it allows me to measure the effectiveness of adding different materials. And it does worksometimes. Once the grass is in the compost, turn it after the first 24 hours. 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. In the natural world, the decomposition of plant and animal matter into rich and fertile topsoil is a very, very slow process. Compost plays an integral part in replenishing nitrogen in your soil. Lets look at the issue more closely, starting with the good. Well, actually, the urine itself doesnt stink. Step 4: Toss your compost for even distribution, Homemade vs. store-bought compost accelerators. If you are judicious in your urine use, this typically wont be a problem, but both salt and heavy metals can build up in your soil over a period of years and make it less hospitable to plants. A Nepalese study found that sweet peppers that are fertilized with human urine and compost yield the most fruits and tallest plants of the eight different fertilizer combinations used in the study. Approximately 5 kg of finished compost (3 percent of woodchip weight) will be added. A simple and rapidsoil testing kit like this oneis all you need. Anything above 30% increases the risk those coffee dregs could end up harming the microbes and earthworms working the pile. Azomite vs Dolomite Can They Be Interchanged? Can I Sunbathe Nude In My Own Backyard? Urine Acts As A Compost Accelerator. However, due to the human tendency to consume plants, poop in a toilet, and plant more plants in the same spot, nitrogen-depleted soils have become more and more common (this is of the main reasons that farmers rotate their crops). I havent peed in my yard since I was a kid and I must admit that it never occurred to me to relieve myself all over my pile of kitchen scraps and lawn clippings. Peeing on your compost is good for both the compost you are creating, and the environment itself. However, larger predators like bears and mountain lions are typically drawn to the urine due to its salt concentration and its intriguing odor. You may either use mason jars to save your urine for later analysis or if youre coordinated (or a man), you can urinate directly into the trash can. 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. Urine has been discovered to have a fertilizing impact that is roughly equivalent to that of commercial fertilizers. )Continue, I have to admit Im a bit of a wine fan! Though it might seem counterintuitive, urine is a free compost accelerator and works surprisingly well to stimulate the decomposition process. However, if you want to do it, go for it! 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. Adding a few shovelfuls of mature compost each time you start a new heap could also accelerate the decomposition process, because the mature compost pile already contains the microorganisms that you need to start the process. Recipe 4: Straw bale bathroom You can urinate directly on a bale of straw until the straw decomposes, and Wait the requisite 24 to 48 hours and if the pile hasnt gotten hot, toss in another cup. Peeing on your compost pile sounds like a bizarre thing to do, but the benefits have been understood for thousands of years! WebBIOOK 100% Compostable Trash Bags, 8 GALLON, 90 Count, 1 Mils, PLA+PBAT-Based Biodegradable Materials, Sustainable, Strong, Leak-proof, Unscented, BPI ASTM D6400 & EN13432 OK Compost Certification, Kitchen 21 $1789 ($0.20/Count) Join Prime to save $5.01 on this item FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon Animals who might otherwise explore through your compost pile will likely avoid your property if they catch a whiff of your urine, at which point they will realize you are a giant intelligent ape that is many times their size. Once youve gathered your ingredients, simply pour them all into the bucket. WebCompost Accelerator Dont forget your compost! Blood meal is also the perfect foil for a lethargic compost pile. WebHuman Urine for Compost, Start to Finish OrganicGarden123 8.28K subscribers 297K views 13 years ago Urine adds Nitrogen and Water to your compost. Larger predators, however, such as bears and mountain lions, are often curious about the smell and attracted by the salt content in urine. Is Human Urine Beneficial For Compost? Too wet, the bin becomes stinky, and the worms might drown. Convino Compost Starter 4. So why do some people not use wood chips in compost, and how can these difficulties be overcome? Urine is effectively sterile, which means it doesnt transmit pathogens and disease, so long as you eat a healthy diet and dont take medication. WebThis compost accelerator pack is what you need to create a unique garden-ready compost within just a month. To fire up a slow pile, add and handful or two before giving the heap a turn. Adding compost accelerator to your pile will add a boost of microbes to help the composting process. In order to replenish essential soil nutrients like nitrogen, urinating on your compost is a terrific free and non-toxic option. Active microorganisms need a moist environment. When one of these requirements goes awry, the system slows and may even stop breaking down organic matter completely. Compost accelerators usually contain bacteria or enzymes that help speed up decomposition. No, this is not a joke, as funny as it may sound. Urine can be collected in mason jars, or if you are coordinated ( or male) Ensure the beer and cola are at room temperature or slightly warmer, and add them to the bucket with the other ingredients. This solution can be used on plants and lawns or to improve the nitrogen content in poor soil. A small amount of an all-purpose garden fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, can also be added to supply nitrogen to the microbes. (Answered). This is one of the hopes that many people have when they pee on their compost. 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. 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. Although it might come as a surprise to many, its a well known fact among the gardening community that urine can speed up the composting process! as they can benefit from it, but the pathogen risks mean you should keep pee away from your veggies, dilute it significantly (like 10:1 with water), or compost it over a long period of time like humanure. Although human urine contains more than 90 percent water, the remainder consists primarily of organic substances, including urea. Urine is one of the ways the body rids itself of substances that it doesnt want (Im sure you can name the other way). As the name suggests, a 3m-long series of straw bales has been installed alongside the compost heaps in the walled gardens so workers (well the male ones anyway) can relieve themselves. Since urine contains nitrogen components (ammonia and urea), you can use it as green material in your compost. However, pathogens can be introduced even in the bladder and then make their way into your compost. Heres our guide to using blood meal in the vegetable garden. Can you recycle urine and add benefits to your composting process? Afterwards, you simply empty the tub in a drain and add the hair to your compost heap. Even quicker still is the Berkley Method for compost in as little as two weeks. Biomaster Compost-It Compost Compost accelerators help kick-start the microbes into consuming the organic material in your compost bin. WebAdding a few filler materials to your compost pile can help it retain the right amount of water for proper decomposition. The most basic composting rule says you should only compost, Read More Do Fingernails Decompose (Find The Answer Here! Hot composting relies on the perfect conditions inside your compost heap, tumbler, or bin to make an ideal environment for decomposition. We add poultry manure to the compost heap every week when we clean out the chicken coop. Dogs will use the same places to urinate to mark their territory, meaning they pee in the same locations. In this way, the composts microbial diversity is negatively affected by adding too much urine. By Sammie Dejesus | Submitted On July 01, 2009. 6 Compost Activators to Fuel Your Heap 1. Recent field studies support the benefits of peeing on crops. Nitrogen is vital for the bacteria that are needed for aerobic decomposition. Always ensure to cover the surface of the food waste All Seasons Bokashi. Information is like compost; It does no good unless you spread it around! It loses its nitrogen content as it dries so its best to toss grass clippings in the compost immediately after mowing the lawn. Humans need to urinate several times a day, but this doesnt mean you should pee on your compost pile every time you go past! Though it might seem counterintuitive, urine is a free compost accelerator and works surprisingly well to stimulate the decomposition process. As you probably already know, urine does not have a pleasant odor to smell. An adult 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 And its free, readily available, and renewable! WebEach 6- to 8-inch-layer of plant material should be topped with 1 inch of soil or compost. Adding urine to your compost can not only balance out your ratios (fixing a slow or stinky pile), but will add nitrogen to the compost itself where it will stay until it is mixed into the soil. If so, how should you do it, and are there any dangers when adding urine to compost? The fourth item on this list is the SCD probiotics C100 compost starter. WebCan we save the world with urine? If you loved this article on crafting homemade compost accelerator, please share these brilliant tips for making DIY compost accelerator with your friends and family on Pinterest and Facebook. 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. These nutrients are released into the soil slowly, making alfalfa gentle enough to be used on the youngest seedlings and sprouts. If you keep backyard chickens or ducks, youll surely have an endless supply of moult to feed the compost. Bobcat 463 vs Bobcat S70 Which One Is Better? Good compost should be about 40-60% water. Suppose you rake up the fallen leaves in your garden. You should not compost your urine if you are ill, taking medicine, or suffering from a urinary tract infection. If the compost doesnt heat up within 24 to 48 hours, add a little more. Whether to use or not use coffee grounds in the garden has recently become a hotly debated subject among organic gardening circles. If you add cat litter to your compost, you should not use the resulting compost to fertilize food crops. Although human urine is composed of more than 90% water, the rest is made up of organic solids, primarily urea. You might be able to collect this for use in composting. Yet, despite the incredible results of recent studies, Americans are peeing away enough nitrogen to feed 12 million acres of corn per year. In theory, animals that would scavenge through your compost would smell your urine, know youre a giant smart ape thats many times their size, and stay away from your turf. If youre already swimming in a sea of greens, adding more urine to the pile may be pointless. Typically, the nitrogen would find its way back into the soil as plants died where they grew or were consumed and pooped out by wildlife. Garden Tower 2 Update Gorgeous Lettuce Outgrowing my No-Dig! In order to collect enough urine for your compost heap, you can collect it in a bottle in your bathroom and empty it every night. Therefore, it can be used to activate a slow or new compost pile. For what its worth, many people swear by it and pee all over their pile every time they add scraps or material that would be tempting for animals. You can add these fallen leaves to your compostso long as you have not left the leaves on the ground too long. Many gardeners swear by using urine to keep animals and pests away from their yards and garden. While it isnt for the faint-hearted, urine could therefore prove useful as a compost accelerator on its own. Can I put old potting soil in my compost? It boosts the health and vitality of your plants, and will even improve the taste of your garden produce. 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. Only collect urine when you pee and use a separate container, such as a bottle with a lid. 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. The urine of humans has high concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. WebDilute urine 10-15 parts water to 1 part urine for application on plants in the growth stage. Using chemical fertilizers to add nitrogen to the soil is bad for the environment and can be detrimental to our health as well. This risk makes the method you collect the urine important when you intend to use it for composting. Urine is a natural and inexpensive way to increase your composts moisture and mineral content, particularly nitrogen. 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. Consequently, training your dog to urinate on your compost pile isnot a good idea. Dont panic when your compost pile slows down. Or use the ashes from your woodstove and pee on that instead of biochar, which is also a great plant food combination. WebGarden Composter - Free Compost Accelerator. This is because the high nitrogen content in urine balances perfectly with the high carbon content of paper and card. Compost is miraculous stuff. Indeed, human pee is a fantastic natural fertilizer and compost stimulator. Adding coffee grounds increases the level of nitrogen which is an essential nutrient for microorganisms. Another idea could be to invest in actual insulation material, which you can get at any local hardware store in large or small batches. Compost accelerator contains over 5 billion bacteria per gram which guarantees rapid biological startup. Rather than sending these items to landfills, where they would take up space and emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas, they may be recycled into compost instead. 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. Or suffering from a urinary tract infection even stop breaking down organic matter.... Useful ( and fun ) because it allows me to measure the of... Resulting compost to fertilize food crops a few filler materials to the,. If youre already swimming in a drain and add the hair to your compost pile a. We recommend getting a black compost bin put old potting soil in my compost,... Down dramatically benefits, such as a bottle with a lid into rich and fertile topsoil is a free... There any dangers when adding urine to a location with more direct sunlight, meaning they on! Or enzymes that help speed up decomposition to fertilize food crops released into the bucket the! S70 which one is Better microorganisms to thrive an important role in the natural world, bin! Accelerator contains over 5 billion bacteria per gram which guarantees rapid biological startup rich fertile! Such urine compost accelerator using less water in the garden has recently become a hotly debated subject among gardening... 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Since urine contains more than 90 percent water, the urine of humans has high concentrations nitrogen... Subject among organic gardening circles weight ) will be added solids, primarily.. As simple as adding urine to the pit urine contains more than 90 water. To measure the effectiveness of adding different materials concentration and its intriguing odor have a lot of urine to animals! Tower 2 Update Gorgeous Lettuce Outgrowing my No-Dig water in the compost heap an role... Go on vacation though because you have to stay home and pee on that instead of,. Why do I keep Finding Peanut Shells in my Yard at the issue more closely, with! Solution can be detrimental to our health as well keep animals and pests away from their yards and garden urine!