When I first heard about peeing on compost, I immediately thought that it was a bad idea. Little did I know, urine may actually be beneficial for compost piles!
Keep reading to learn more about the benefits!
Urine Can Be Good For Your Compost
When we eat, our kidneys filter out extra nutrients that our bodies can’t utilize, and these nutrients are then excreted in urine. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are present in substantial amounts in our urine.
So, peeing on your compost is a great free and non-toxic approach to restoring critical minerals like nitrogen in your soil.
In fact, in a study conducted in Nepal, sweet peppers treated with human urine and compost produced the most fruits and tallest plants compared to eight other treatments.
Green or Brown Material
Because it contains a lot of nitrogen, urine counts as a “green” in the compost. It should be added carefully to a compost bin that already contains a lot of nitrogen-rich items, such as food scraps. Make sure to include enough of carbon-rich items such as dry leaves, sawdust, straw, and cardboard in your compost pile.
Remember that, generally, you want a 2:1 ratio of brown-to-green material. If you plan to pee on your compost, add even more brown matter.
Is It Safe to Add It to Your Compost Pile?
Yes, it is! Urine is almost always safe unless you actively have a urinary tract infection.
Certain medications may be detected in trace amounts in urine. Most scientists believe that the levels are so little as to be insignificant. Nonetheless, I recommend that you be careful if you are on multiple medications.
Urine Used as Fertilizer
Urine has been discovered to have a fertilizing impact that is roughly equivalent to that of commercial fertilizers.
Therefore, urine may be applied directly to soil as a fertilizer when diluted with water. It is best to dilute it at a 1:6 or 1:8 ratio.
That being said, because of the benefits to your compost, I would recommend that you add it to your composter instead of directly to the soil.
Apply to Trees and Fruiting Plants
If you are concerned about safety, consider peeing on fruit-bearing crops like tomatoes and cucumbers rather than on the root vegetables.
If this thought makes you uncomfortable, consider applying urine to plants that don’t produce a crop. You can fertilize perennial plants like bushes, trees, wildflowers, and your lawn with urine.
Or, just add it to your compost pile.
