I have a bet riding on the answer. Re: Urine in compost heaps. Many people swear by its power in the garden – including at least one member of British parliament — and studies have shown that adding human urine to the soil along with compost … I used to have long chats with Ben the Rat as he sat on top of my compost heap and I swear he was listening! Staff at the National Trust's Wimpole Hall property are being encouraged to pee on a compost bale, saving the organization water, creating a nutrient rich compost … Is this the same with adding urine? Favourite answer. Lv 7. Urine is a good compost activator if you are adding it to a compost heap that has more carbon ‘browns’ than nitrate ‘greens’. If nitrogen really isn't your problem, your pile may be too small to heat up. With cold composting this provides the bacteria with a source of food which can be digested quickly producing heat rapidly. If you can't add green plants to your compost, just add a nitrogen fertilizer and be done with it. (60 C.) due to these heat-loving microorganisms. have heard of dilluted urine good for the lawn,,why ?? Any time the pile gets dry, I repeat this. The anaerobic bacteria will make the compost smell nasty and it will not break down into safe fertilizer. Is urine a good compost activator? The temperature of compost can get up to 140°F. hahaha A well-cared-for compost heap requires regular turning, which can be a tricky job without the right tools. You can encourage the correct enzymes in your compost by using a compost activator. Contemporary studies indicate that human urine is non-toxic. To add pee right to your garden, instead of to your compost bin, be sure to dilute to a 10:1 ratio. In fact men and boys were sent outside to urinate onto the compost heap in … If I use soil in the litter tray, flush pooh down the toilet, can I then put the soil with cat urine on the compost heap? Boost to the system. I had my compost tumbler about a quarter full with new material for about two weeks. Is this correct, we use a wood based litter & would remove the poo. 1 decade ago. Answer Save. Using non-fresh urine. The result seems to be a heating up, as many different microbes rush away and grow faster. Turning your compost helps to aerate and mix up the waste and cuttings, which leads to faster composting. largely to extend it. Cover the heap to protect against rain and add more brown waste, such as chopped woody material, shredded woodchip, straw or paper. Why is it Recommended to Add Urine? Consequently if you spread this on the surface, seeds will readily germinate causing you problems. Nitrogen in urine also hinders the composting process. I took the temperature at the start of the experiment: 70 degrees. My roommates and i pee on it seeing as this house has only two bathrooms and 8 guys live here. OK, it all sounds rather strange, and maybe even icky, collecting urine in a container and then putting it onto the compost heap or into the compost bin but that is what was done not so long ago in rural households anyway. People in some areas of the world may be culturally averse to urinating directly onto the heap, but it is the best way because the warmth imparted from the human body will encourage composting processes. A solution of available nitrates on a pile of dead leaves, will be an effective compost activator. there were talk of urine used in compost heap, i have done this and seems to keep it roting at a good speed,, why is this ? It’s also a good compost heap … When adding more material to your compost follow the following rule of 60% green and 40% brown. If urine sits for more … Many gardening and composting sites recommend adding urine onto compost heap to help speed things up. Without the urine they will become too dry and the process will slow down. Every day I take the temperature of the compost at 530pm. Then again, most anyone who knows me will tell you I’m a bit barmy. For this reason you cannot sow seeds in 'cold' heap compost. Urine. urine in the compost heap,? I have yet to incorperate a urine diverter in my bucket system, and straining is a pain so do not use human urine that way, yet. 3 Answers. I then added a pepsi bottle full of urine (only at beginning of the experiment). I compost all of my cats' litter box waste (we use corn based litter) and the worms eat it right up with no problems. I simply put a day’s worth of urine into my 2 gallon watering can, fill it with water, and use it to moisten my compost pile. Making compost is cheap and easy. Weil’s Disease. Page 1 of 2: There are animal made tunnels/burrows in my compost heap. Urine consists of a strong solution of urea which is very rich in nitrates. You're also adding the smell of human urine and somewhat putting off foxes, mice and rats. Problems. Hi, have been told it is not safe to use cat litter in the compost heap. In vault systems there are good arguments for separating urine but hot compost heaps are thirsty. Not only are you not then flushing away gallons of water, you're adding rapidly degradable nitrogen sources that give a massive boost to the bacteria and fungi that make your compost. The good news is that you don’t have to wait that long – in fact one composting system produces finished compost in just 14-21 days (although you’d ideally let it mature for a while before using it for the first time).. Compost that has too little aeration will smell putrid or like rotting eggs. Single. It is known that human urine accelerates the compost heap. You may need to water in dry spells. The end product is a rich, black compost. Compost (/ ˈ k ɒ m p ɒ s t / or / ˈ k ɒ m p oʊ s t /) is organic matter that has been decomposed in a process called composting. Sometimes the results of composting are not as expected. 15 years old Hannah cat has decided she cannot possibly use the cat flap a night and used the Sinkiang rug in my study. My understanding is that a good amount of urine is just fine for a traditional compost pile. Yes - urine is a readily available nitrogen source. This is a pretty clever way of collecting the pee without having to walk out to the compost heap or deal with chamber pots. Step 4: Follow the 60/40 Rule. 8. Urine goes all through, it seeps in, and boosts nitrogen availability all round. Compost pile is compacted – Compost piles need oxygen (aeration) to decompose the organic material properly. Along with nitrogen, urine contains significant amounts of salt. You also need the high nitrogen content of the urine to balance the carbon of the wood. Page 1 of 2: There are animal made tunnels/burrows in my compost heap. It's my first year and I've built a large area with old shed pieces with lots of compost and. This process recycles various organic materials otherwise regarded as waste products and produces a soil conditioner (the compost).. Compost is rich in nutrients. I notice grass cuttings take much shorter to break down, is there anything I can do make the kitchen waste break down faster to be used quickly as garden compost. If not the microbes will have the nitrogen but will not have an available carbon. There's nothing wrong with adding urine to compost occasionally, but I wouldn't make it a regular thing. It is used, for example, in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, urban agriculture and organic farming. Another popular method for composting with urine is creating a ‘pee bale’, which is used for a while and then added to the compost. Wet, slimy and strong-smelling compost: Too little air and too much water are often to blame. The answer to the above question is emphatically YES. Rats are incontinent and their urine can carry serious diseases such as Weils' disease. A cold compost heap can take months or even years to reach perfection. You can build your own container to hold the organic matter while it decays, or buy a wooden or plastic bin. I compost with worms and know that they handle pet urine quite well. I do try to recycle wherever possible. I would dilute it by at least 50%. Relevance. The bottom is filled in spring with all the twiggy herbaceous material and small prunings to create an aerating layer. Turning the heap now and again or mixing with a fork or compost aerator will introduce oxygen and help the materials to break down. There is a slight risk of inhaling harmful spores whilst aerating so make sure the heap is damp and if you have health problems wear a mask. Insect predators feed on the slugs, insects and other invertebrates that are attracted to the heap. The Job of Compost Bacteria. Their urine often carries a bacterial leptospira disease called Weil’s Disease. Let's find out. Every. Beneficial bacteria found in garden compost are busy breaking down matter and creating carbon dioxide and heat. Throughout the summer, weeds, mowings, wood shavings and poultry manure are added, together with the contents of the (urine-only) compost toilet … When added to the compost bin, undiluted human urine reduces the time it takes for carbons to break down and increases the nutrient values in the completed compost. meanolmaw. Does urine quicken the process or is water better. It should be matched with a readily available carbon source (sugars, fats, oils etc). Using compost from a traditional 'cold' heap. Urine is about 98% water and the rest is mainly a chemical called urea. That’s why it’s so important to keep urine out of your DIY composting toilet. If your compost pile gets compacted, the compost will start to smell. Turn the compost pile to help get air into the compost and stop the bad smell. Currently my compost are mostly kitchen waste (in a plastic compost bin with lid) and I tend to have a separate compost area (bricked up) for grass cuttings. To: "Square Foot Gardening List" sqft@listbot.com>; Subject: Re: Urine in compost heaps. Pee is usually sterile to the producer and if you’re healthy, normally pretty much sterile to other humans too so it shouldn’t pose a danger in terms of pathogens or bacteria. Compost from 'cold' heaps still takes months rather than weeks and these heaps do not get hot enough to kill seeds off. i have a compost heap in my yard. Before I started using the Jenkins sawdust toilet I used rabbit urine directly on plants. Pee on it. Day. Yes, you can compost human urine – as long as the person making it is healthy. Human urine can provide the nitrogen needed for composting! Pee on it. Compost-enhancing bacteria work around the clock and in all sorts of conditions to break down organic material. I do use Garota now and then. 4. 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