Do you know that you can use your pee for plants? Sounds weird? It’s not! Here are some of the known Urine Uses in the Garden!
The title of this article may sound absurd to you, and if you’re offended–you may declare that we’re posting rubbish content these days. You can even suggest us to change our Editor (We got a new editor recently). But believe it or not, human urine can be of great use in the garden.
It’s proven by science, in many recent studies. It contains 95% of water, 2.5% urea, and 2.5% of salts and other minerals. Due to the high nitrogen concentration in urine, it can be used as a liquid fertilizer to make plants more prolific.
Why Should You Use Urine in Garden?
Urine contains a high amount of nitrogen, a moderate amount of manganese, and a low amount of potassium. It works as an effective natural fertilizer, having an NPK ratio of 10:1:4, which is beneficial for plant growth.
The fresh urine is sterile and non-toxic. And, must be best used within 24 hours after obtaining it. Or, else, it stinks more. Urine, in combination with compost, can help you in growing heavy feeder vegetables like cucumber, pepper, cabbage, and tomatoes, organically.
You can use urine as nitrogen liquid fertilizer, compost accelerator, or as a weed killer as well.
Some Weird Human Urine Uses in the Garden
1. As a Fertilizer
Chemical fertilizers, while having some harmful effects, are also expensive. Urine, on the other hand, is a free alternative and environment-friendly. Being rich in nitrogen and potassium, it helps in making the plant more prolific.
For instance, using pure urine can be very beneficial for cucumbers. It also helps in better growth and the height of plants, especially beans. Moreover, it’s proven in a study, it works well as a fertilizer in combination with compost for bell peppers.
How to Use:
- While using urine in the garden as a fertilizer, dilute it in the ratio 10:1, i.e., 10-parts of water with 1-part of urine.
- For seedlings and small container plants, dilute it in the ratio of 20:1 (water and urine).
- Do not use it more than once in 10-14 days. Otherwise, excess nitrogen will lead to yellowing of plants.
2. As a Composite Accelerator
Dry compost pile decomposes slowly. But applying urine on it can help in accelerating the decomposition of carbon materials present in it. It works by adding moisture and nitrogen to it. You can also use urine with a bale of straw or sawdust in your compost production. It’s harmless and environment-friendly.
How to Use:
- This YouTube tutorial will guide you on how to use human urine for composting.
3. As an Organic Pesticide and Weed Killer
Sterile human urine has insecticidal properties that help in keeping the soil free from pathogenic fungi and parasites. Unlike other commercially available pesticides, it doesn’t linger in the soil for long nor imposes any health risks, both short or long-term, on plants. Also, undiluted pee can work as a weed killer.
How to Use:
- For this, you’ll need to pour it neat on the plants you would like to kill. This works!
4. As an Animal Repellent
Apart from working as a fertilizer, urine also works as a natural animal repellent due to its smell. Diluted urine can be applied near plants; it is unnoticeable to humans, but it deters away animals that eat plants like rabbits and deer.
How to Use:
- Dilute the solution, with 1-part urine and 10-parts of water, and sprinkle it at the perimeter of your garden to prevent animals from entering your garden.
- Alternatively, use cotton balls soaked in the solution and keep it at edges of the garden.
Plants that Prefer Urine Fertilizer for Better Growth
Cabbage, papaya, beans, tomato, hibiscus, okra, maize, pumpkin, passion fruit, and cucumber showed a good sign of growth on the application of urine fertilizer. They also produce large-sized fruits and vegetables due to high nitrogen content in the urine.
