Proper Application of Human Urine as Fertilizer for Gardens

So you’ve read Unending Source of Free Fertilizer and you’re excited about fertilizing your garden with your own urine which is a free, abundant and unending source of liquid nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Don’t start spreading your pee around until you have read the following precautions and guidelines. Also be sure to review the health precautions in an Unending Source of Free Fertilizer.

How much urine to apply to the soil/plants

Have you ever been frustrated by dogs choosing your nice green lawn as their urinating place? What’s the frustration – yellow spots in your beautiful grass because the high nitrogen content burned the grass roots.

On the other hand, sometimes that dog urine actually makes that spot of grass greener.

What’s the difference in the two reactions in your lawn? Obviously too much nitrogen can burn the lawn causing yellow spots. But also when there’s too little nitrogen in the soil the grass may prosper and green up from the dog urine.

So the moral to this story: Watch your plants. If they look yellowish, then judiciously pour diluted urine around them. If their leaves appear quite green, then they have enough nitrogen. If you give them too much nitrogen you many wind up with big beautiful plants but little to no fruit. Also too much nitrogen will allow pests to attack your plants

Calculating how much urine to apply to your garden

One liter (slightly more than a quart) of human urine contains about 3-7 grams of nitrogen. You can use that figure as a rule of thumb if you have a way to analyze your soil and then calculate the amount of urine to work into the soil.

Otherwise estimate the application rate based on the nitrogen content of urine as the total volume of urine produced by one person in a 24 hour period, diluted and poured on 1 square meter of land (about 1.8 yards squared). One person’s urine can provide the nitrogen needs for 300-400 square meters (358-478 square yards) of soil per year. Source of information: http://www.ecosanres.org/pdf_files/ESR-factsheet-06.pdf

When to apply the urine to the soil

The nutrients in urine provide rapid nourishment to the plants. For the best availability to the plants work the urine into the soil before sowing the seeds. If the plants require more fertilizer in the growing season for health’s sake stop applying human urine 30 days before harvesting.

Recommended dilution ratios for human urine before applying to plants

–          Urine contains high amounts of salt, so diluting it before pouring on plants will help prevent salt buildup in the soil. Also, reducing your level of salt intake may help you and the plants.

–          Some sources say a ratio of 1 part urine to 5 parts water will be safe to prevent burning the plants.

–          More sources recommend diluting 1 part of urine with 10 to 15 parts of water (or compost tea), especially when plants are in the growth phase.

–          For use on potted plants, seedlings or tender plants dilute 1 part urine with 30-50 parts water.

–          The ecologist.org says you can apply undiluted human urine to the soil around trees, shrubs and lawns. To be on the safe side I would try using undiluted human urine on a small patch of lawn first. http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/gardening/605742/urine_the_ultimate_organic_fertiliser.html

But there’s more than one way to apply human urine in your gardening projects as you will find out in:

More than One Way to Utilize Human Urine as Fertilizer

References:

Scientific American 7-23-2010
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/human-urine-is-an-effective-fertilizer/

Modern Farmer
http://modernfarmer.com/2014/01/human-pee-proven-fertilizer-future/

Vegan Culture Network
http://www.goveganic.net/article217.html

http://www.ecosanres.org/pdf_files/ESR-factsheet-06.pdf

http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/gardening/605742/urine_the_ultimate_organic_fertiliser.html

http://akvopedia.org/wiki/Application_of_Urine

Blessings,

Dr.  Jo