Urine
Michael Z. Cicha
There has been some talk of urine as a nitrogen source for compost heaps
in this newsgroup. It has jokingly been suggested that people use their
_own_ urine for this purpose. At first, this is a bit revolting, as
composting books always say you must not compost human waste lest you
spread disease. But then I remembered that urine is a _sterile_ filtrate
of blood plasma, and as long as a person doesn't have kidney damage, urine
should be free of bacteria and viruses. So go ahead and use it on your
pile.
But this got me thinking along another line. Many of you are probably
familiar with a product that is sold under lots of names like "hydro-gel'
or something like that. It is a plymer that can absorb lots of water and
release it slowly. It is recommended for house plants to reduce
watering. I thought that this would be great in a garden. It would hold
a lot of water, reducing plant stress. Plus, it would expand every time
it filled up with water, reducing soil compaction. However, the stuff is
expensive, like $1 an ounce, so a garden full of it would be
prohibitive.
Then I thought that this is the same stuff that is in super absorbent
diapers. Why not just buy a bunch of cheap diapers, open them up and
remove the absorbent material. The rest of the diaper is just cotton
fibers and maybe some moisturizer like petrolatum or aloe. A pack of
cheap diapers is only about 6 bucks, and you can probably get a pound of
gel from them.
Then, to link these two threads, I thought, why buy new diapers, when I
have a little girl who is filling many diapers a day with nitrogen
fertilizer. And it should be slow release, as well. Of course, I would
only use wet, not dirty, diapers. And probably put them into the compost
heap, not straight into the garden.
Does anyone see any trouble with this? I don't think the polymer ever
breaks down, as anyone who has seen a carelessly discarded diaper at the
beach can attest. I figure I will give it a try with some ornamentals in
pots to see if it works, then incorporate some into my garden compost
later this summer.
Michael Cicha
trav...@my-deja.com
In article <Pine.A41.4.21.0003290953180.87540-
100...@green.weeg.uiowa.edu>,
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Bill and Cat
: There has been some talk of urine as a nitrogen source for compost heaps
: in this newsgroup. It has jokingly been suggested that people use their
: _own_ urine for this purpose.
Don't know about the nitrogen, but I can say that after I started taking
late night walks through my garden.... the rabbits stoped eating my
plants.
Bill
=============================================================================
Bill Hilbrich Saint Cloud, Minnesota
When Hobbes said " The problem with new experiences is that they're so
rarely the ones you choose", a Minnesota'n responded that it could be a
lot worse so maybe it's really not so bad.
=============================================================================
loki
>
> There has been some talk of urine as a nitrogen source for compost heaps
> in this newsgroup. It has jokingly been suggested that people use their
Urine ceases to be sterile shortly after it leaves the body. Thus a urine
filled diaper would not be sterile.
Also, male urine works better for some reason. It's a great accelerator for
compost. <laugh>
I've heard those polymers don't really release the water to the plants
either - more that they absorb water the plants could use but can't because
it's held in the polymer.
I wouldn't want that stuff around my food either...
Loki
Dan
<mci...@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu> wrote:
>
>There has been some talk of urine as a nitrogen source for compost heaps
>in this newsgroup. It has jokingly been suggested that people use their
>_own_ urine for this purpose. At first, this is a bit revolting, as
>composting books always say you must not compost human waste lest you
>spread disease. But then I remembered that urine is a _sterile_ filtrate
>of blood plasma, and as long as a person doesn't have kidney damage, urine
>should be free of bacteria and viruses. So go ahead and use it on your
>pile.
>
Id recommend it for flower plants, Ive seen extrememly bright blooms
from plants given regular "waterings" ;)
Dan
Ala Mohseni
I am told cat urine carries diseas and thus
should be avoided in the vegetable garden.
Should I try to keep the neighbors' cat
away from my garden?
Ala
Tom Stone
help me!
(they're coming to take me away ho ho, he he, ha ha)
BinsMom1
>should be avoided in the vegetable garden.
It's not the urine but the solid waste that SOMETIMES has disease in it.
However, normally healthy cats do not have this problem. If I see animal
droppings in my yard or garden I either water them into the soil or if they are
right by a root veggie I use a stick to move it to a less offensive spot.
Nellie
Christ--my all
Priscilla H Ballou
: I am told cat urine carries diseas and thus
: should be avoided in the vegetable garden.
: Should I try to keep the neighbors' cat
: away from my garden?
Urine is sterile, regardless of the urinator. Feces, OTOH, from meat
eaters should be avoided in fertilizer.
Priscilla
--
"The bible contains 6 admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments
to heterosexuals. That doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals.
It's just that they need more supervision." -- Lynn Lavner
"Always a godmother, never a God" -- Fran Lebowitz
Amy Fedde
service) Victory Garden agrees with you all the way pee soaked diapers and
all. It also reduces land fill waste too.
no joke here
amz
Michael Z. Cicha <mci...@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu> wrote in message
news:Pine.A41.4.21.000329...@green.weeg.uiowa.edu...
>
> There has been some talk of urine as a nitrogen source for compost heaps
> in this newsgroup. It has jokingly been suggested that people use their
> _own_ urine for this purpose. At first, this is a bit revolting, as
> composting books always say you must not compost human waste lest you
> spread disease. But then I remembered that urine is a _sterile_ filtrate
> of blood plasma, and as long as a person doesn't have kidney damage, urine
> should be free of bacteria and viruses. So go ahead and use it on your
> pile.
>
> Michael Cicha
>
Amy Fedde
<trav...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:8btd1n$8bu$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> Yessssss...............but whatcha gonna do once she's potty trained? :)
>
> > have a little girl who is filling many diapers a day with nitrogen
> > fertilizer. And it should be slow release, as well. Of course, I would
> > only use wet, not dirty, diapers. And probably put them into the
> compost
> > heap, not straight into the garden.
> >
> > Does anyone see any trouble with this? I don't think the polymer ever
> > breaks down, as anyone who has seen a carelessly discarded diaper at
> the
> > beach can attest. I figure I will give it a try with some ornamentals
> in
> > pots to see if it works, then incorporate some into my garden compost
> > later this summer.
> >
> > Michael Cicha
> >
> >
>
>
dannyboy
pads w/urine) on one of his PBS shows, along with gardening
uses for alot of other common household stuff, like beer,
soda, etc. Probably in one of his books, too.
And, yes, I use it on my compost regularly.
rev. dan...