A dirty yellow secret

Some conservationists have a secret which they don't easily divulge. Nothing dark or evil, just something not discussed with the general public.

Their secret is the use of urine for feeding their plants. 

I've been doing some reading about this. Of course, the first time I read it, I had the same reaction many of us do. Eww! Be careful whose garden you eat from! However, I have done more reading on the subject, first running across it inadvertently, then more curiously. 

Seems research has been done which shows normal human urine to be very beneficial to plants. Most notably, there was a study done in Finland, published in 2007 on the subject. Urine contains high levels of nitrogen and lesser levels of phosphorous and potassium, all of which are needed by plants. The Finland study detailed the use of urine quadrupling the yield of tomato plants. It was apparently just slightly less effective than commercial fertilizer. 

Of course, there are several benefits to the use of urine over commercial fertilizer. The first is cost. Those who cannot afford commercial fertilizer can obviously afford to use urine. The second is availability. Unless you have complete renal failure, you have a supply on a daily basis. This remains true in big cities, rural areas or isolated areas far from any supply of commercial fertilizer. The third is environmental impact. Urine entering the sewage system can be toxic to the environment and must be processed to decrease that toxicity. Meanwhile, most sources of Nitrates for farming or gardening are mined and have a limited supply. Some experts say those supplies are dwindling and there's no doubt they have become more scarce. Even if they were not becoming scarce, it requires processing, packaging and shipping before it can be used. 

The negatives of urine use involve social stigma, safety and proper use. The social stigma part will decrease over time, as the practice is growing. Safety is mostly common sense. Do not use urine if you have a urinary infection. Normal urine is sterile. Most of the advice I have read ignores one thing- Do not use urine from a person who takes prescription drugs, which are often secreted in urine. This is especially true of a person on chemotherapy. Some have stated concerns of salts and heavy metals, such as mercury. However, it is unlikely that these are contained in urine in sufficient quantity to cause harm, as the donor would already be seriously ill from the levels in their blood.




For proper use, urine should be used within 24 hours. If not used within 24 hours, urine begins to break down and form ammonia, harmful to plants. 
It should be diluted. Different sources state different dilutions and some say no dilution is necessary but too much Nitrogen will burn plants. I think the best advice is a dilution of 10 parts water to 1 part urine. If your plants show signs of yellowing, add more water or discontinue use for a while, until the plant recovers, then increase the dilution. 
Urine must be separated from fecal matter. Urine can be used immediately or added to compost. Fecal matter can be composted but requires at least two years for the process and can still be risky.
As stated, urine can be composted and has been shown many times to be a potent compost activator. In the winter, this would be the best use of urine. This will increase the Nitrogen content in compost and decrease or eliminate the need for Nitrogen supplements. (I'd advise soil testing to make sure.)
If applying solution directly to plants, water the roots, not the leaves. Some sources say to discontinue use two weeks before harvesting if using on food plants. I don't think that's really necessary, just wash plants well before eating (which you should always do, any way). 



So, I'm not going to keep it a secret. I have begun using urine for gardening. I don't take any medications and have virtually zero chance of a urinary infection. Right now, I have simply been using it for the compost and most likely will continue using it in that way. Though I may test some part of the lawn or various plants with a solution when spring comes. 


One thing I will not do is give it some cutesy name. I admit that was something which put off my interest in the first place. I saw people calling it "liquid gold" or talking about how much fun it was urinating in the compost pile. Really? I think you live waaayyy too far out in the sticks for your own good! I will not be assigning any cutesy names or try to make it sound fun and exciting. It is useful, organic, financially conservative and environmentally responsible. If I give it a name, it will likely be "urine fertilizer" or something similar. It's accurate, not cutesy and does not make anyone feel like I am trying to hide something.