Does Urine Speed Up Composting? (Affirmative)

Does urine speed up composting? Although it is not a common question, I have an answer for you. Read this article to the end and you can learn more about urine and composting. 

Does urine speed up composting?

Yes it definitely does. Human urine has a significant component of Nitrogen and ideally you can add it to compost on a regular basis instead of flushing it out in the toilet. In fact, peeing on your compost would be helpful for both compost as well as for the atmosphere. One might opt to apply chemical fertilizers on the soil. However, it would be unhealthy for the environment. Further chances are that it would badly impact on your health as well.

Bear in mind that certain fertilizers can lead to algal blooms in the plants. In addition to that it would also contaminate your drinking water and cause several other health problems as well. So, if you can make use of human urine and that will act as an own Nitrogen rich source. That would further help you to avoid using chemical fertilizers on your plants too.

Can you use urine for compost ?

One might find using urine on your compost as funny. However, you can use urine for compost as it would be good for both the environment and for you as well. In fact, it can increase crop yields. Further it would be a great alternative for chemical fertilizers as well. As per research conducted recently, the combination of urine and compost would increase the yield of fruit plants. In addition to that it would help the plants to grow taller as well. 

So, next time you can urinate in a compost pile without urinating in a toilet. Additionally, you could pee in a bucket and then apply it for the compost pile. So, your golden liquid is literally very worthwhile. But is too much pee good for compost? You can find the answer in this article.

Benefits of urine for your compost pile

Urine add moisture

Moisture content is a prominent factor when it comes to hot and dry composting. If you spot your compost piles are slowing down, it literally means the pile doesn’t have favorable conditions for microbes which are crucial for heavy lifting. So, keeping the moisture and the dampness in the compost pile is something very vital and applying urine could be very useful here. If you have a sizable compost pile, you need to ensure there is considerable moisture. In that context, it would be a fine idea to add urine. Alternatively, you use a horse and add moisture as well.

Increase Nitrogen and rest of other mineral content

Usually, plants absorb Nitrogen from the soil. Nitrogen is a crucial component as plants would use it for the amino acid production. Apart from that it is vital to complete protein and for DNA production as well. Usually once a plant perishes, Nitrogen would reach the soil. However, the nitrogen level in soil would tend to deplete due to several reasons.

When you apply compost it would enhance the nitrogen level in your soil mix. In that context, adding urine would be quite useful here as it contains nitrogen. Further it would stay in the compost until it gets mixed in the soil mix as well. Furthermore, it would fix a slow stinky compost pile. Usually many people tend to add a lot of green as the Nitrogen rich sources. However if you add urine on top of those chances are that it would hurt the ratio in the compost. That said, if you have used a lot of brown material and if a healthy male has applied urine every year, it would produce Nitrogen for about 1800 pounds of compost. 

Urine can help to deter animals

You could use urine to keep the animals and pests away from the garden. So, you could use urine in compost with the same intention too. Literally when the animals sense the urine smell in the compost , animals would hesitate in approaching the plants and harm them. For example, urine can deter animals such as raccoons. That said, bears and mountain lions are quite attractive for the salt content in the urine though.

Drawbacks of adding urine to your compost

In contrast to  the aforementioned benefits you would get from adding urine to your compost, there are following concerns which you have to deal with.

The smell

As you may be aware, urine doesn’t have a pleasant smell. The smell would further worsen as the urea would transform into ammonia. That said, if urine is neutralized or diluted it won’t be much of an issue. However if you are using larger amounts of urine for a longer period, it would start to smell.

Toxic substances and salts

Urine is something which we excrete from our body. So, it contains stuff which we don’t need to have. Urine has high components of salts and toxins such heavy metals too. So, once you apply urine into your compost, it would result in salt buildups in the soil and sometimes it would be less hospitable for the plants.

Microbial and diseases risks

Many people consider it sterile. In fact, this is true when they leave the kidney. That said once they circulate through the bladder, urine may come across pathogens which would ultimately land in your compost as well.

So, if you add too much urine , it will badly impact microbial diversity of the compost. Further it would allow the acid loving microbes to establish. It would be somewhat tricky to use this specially on the plants which you will be using for consumption. So all in all you can add urine for compost if you are using it for flowers, trees etc. However I suggest you keep the urine mixed compost away from your veggies .

How to add urine to the compost

Adding urine to your compost is very productive. This would be even more productive if you have used a soil mix which has a less amount of Nitrogen contained there. However when you are adding urine, you need to add only the fresh urine to do this task. 

If you end up using urine which has been open in air for sometime, it may get stale and tend to grow more pathogens. In addition to that it would further have a foul odor too. So, ideally you need to use urine within one day and if you can’t use it within one day, best would be to discard them. Additionally you can consider stabilizing it with hay. Don’t use urine in excess. Instead use it in moderate levels. You may think urine is quite good for compost and end up over pouring the compost pile with pee, which is wrong. You should ideally, add urine every once in a while. 

Refrain from using urine directly on the plants. Urine has high components of Nitrogen, and it would burn the roots of the plants. Ideally it needs to age and dilute and then use it effectively. Lastly, ensure that you control the salt intake of the plants.

Why do you want urine in the compost?

As per scientists urine is more like liquid good for gardens. Urine is enriched with nitrogen. In addition to that it further contains phosphorus, potassium as well. These are two crucial elements for the healthy growth of the plants. As per research conducted, if you fertilize the beets straight with urine, it will provide a better harvest than other fertilizers. On top of that if you use wood ash with urine, it will make the plants grow even larger. Furthermore, they would be more flavorful as well.

Once you add urine to the compost pile, it would fasten the carbon breakdown. Besides it would increase the nutrient values in the compost too. However, if you wish to add urine on the garden, I recommend you dilute it first.

What is the best way to apply urine in gardening?

The best way to apply the liquid gold deposit in your Garden is to mix urine in your compost. It is the most effective way of making use of human urine in gardening. Urine would act as a carbon breakdown accelerator. In simple words urine would speed up the carbon breakdown and can enhance the nitrogen level as well. Once you directly apply urine on the plants, it would enhance the moisture level in the compost pile.

Can you put too much urine on a compost heap?

You cannot put too much urine on a compost heap as then it would affect the plant health. Urine is more like a liquid feed and you need to use it as a complement to the fertility of the plants. For example you need to use it the way you use mulch. Ideally you need to apply urine in moderate levels as then it would help to speed up the carbon breakdown of the organic matter.

Is urine a compost accelerator?

Yes, it is a great compost stimulator. The nitrogen components and the ability to fasten up the carbon material decomposition are the two crucial factors here. Ideal time to apply urine on the compost pile would be in the morning as during that time it would contain the high uric acid levels. 

Is it safe to add urine to your compost?

It is safer to add urine to your compost given that you don’t have any infection due to interacting with urine. There are certain trace amounts in urine which would be reactive towards certain medications. However it is very rare you will come across any situation like this. That said, it would be always best to be careful if you are on those medications.

Is urine green or brown in compost

Usually, the urine would be prominent in green color when they are in the compost. That said when your compost is in the right levels of urine , you could spot them 50 percent each in brown and in green.

Conclusion

So I think you now have the answer to your question ”Does urine speed up composting”. If you had second thoughts on adding urine into your compost pile, I hope now you are convinced in adding them to the compost pile due to the aforesaid factors. So, go for it and check on the amazing benefits it would come up with.

Read Next : Can I Use Earthworms For Composting?