Peecycle. A Follow Up. 12.12.15

In Jan 2014 I wrote a fairly extensive blog post, with references, about use of urine as a fertilizer.  I won't repeat that discussion, but link here.  I still think it's  an important concept, and worth repeating.  These are the learnings for 2015, almost 2 years later.

-Peecycling means saving urine in a container, for use in the garden.
-Urine has similar organic plant nutritional value, as organic fish emulsion.
-The main ingredient in urine that contributes to plant nutrition, is urea nitrogen.
-If stored, the urea nitrogen is broken down into ammonia and carbon dioxide.  That results in a highly alkaline solution that sterilizes any potential pathogens.  If used directly, the soil bacteria do the same thing.  Used as described here, I don't think the alkalinity is enough to change the pH of the soil in any meaningful fashion.   Soil here is acidic, so if there was an effect, it would be beneficial.
-Urine is safe.  Urine from a healthy person does not cause a risk for infections.    To sterilize the urine, it can be stored for a few weeks.
-The main negative is salt content.  Don't add more salts to an already salty soil.  My Pacific NW soil is very low in salts, based on recent laboratory soil testing.  So that is not an issue here.
-In my soil, there is plenty of potassium and phosphorus, and most trace nutrients.   Nitrogen is the main soil nutrient that is needed.  Urine is very low in potassium and phosphorus, so likely doesn't change those nutrients much, unless the soil is deficient.  Then the contribution would be helpful.
-In other soils, there are different needs.  There is a movement against adding phosphorus, which harms the environment.  Potassium is often high - a soil test would be needed to determine that.  

In 2015, I used peecycling for nitrogen-demanding garden plants, especially corn, tomatoes, and squash. I did not do a randomized trial, comparing plots with and without.  So this is not a valid university trial.

We saved the urine in plastic bottles from orange juice or cider.  Most were approx 2 quart size.  For fertilizing, we poured it into a 2-gallon watering can, then rinsed the pee bottle 3 times with water, pouring the water each time into the watering can.  So that is a 1:4 dilution.  We poured that on the ground in the corn row, or around the tomato or squash plants, about one watering can full per 100 square feet.  We estimated the 100 square feet as about 5 X 10 feet, guessing the distances.

If stored, some dissolved minerals bind to the sides of the container.  I'm thinking those are potassium phosphate, or ammonium salts, but not sure.  This can be unsightly on the bottle, but is not harmful.  After emptying the bottles, they can be filled with water and left sitting for a week.  The water dissolves those minerals, resulting in a cleaner looking container.  Sometime 2 water treatments are needed.  I use that water for watering as well, those minerals also go into the soil, so nothing is lost.

In all cases, after watering the diluted into the soil, I watered again with a second watering can with just water.  That soaks the diluted urine a little deeper. I did not notice any odor, although I may not be sensitive enough to know.

The result was excellent production of all three.  I was very surprised at how well they did.   Corn, squash, and tomatoes, all had excellent yield.  The plants grew vigorously and fast, and the production was excellent - large fruits and excellent flavor.  We had the most tomatoes and squash that we have ever had.  This was my first time for sweet corn, which was excellent.  All three crops received the fertilizer at 2 or 3 week intervals, until the corn tassels start to grow, or the tomatoes start to bloom, or the squash starts to bloom.

For some flowers and herbs, I also used the same fertilizer.  I quit when the flowers started to grow.  Chinese chives were big and tender, and rebounded quickly from harvest for second and third and 4th crops.  Nasturtiums grew too large, making big bushes with very large leaves and few flowers.  Daylilies were big and vigorous, and made many beautiful, big, flowers.

I used much smaller amounts for the young shade trees, using one diluted bottle per tree, in late winter and repeating in early spring.  Those were watered in extending to the drip line and a little beyond.  Growth was excellent.  Linden trees, maples,  and ginkgos responded very well to the additional nitrogen In fact, I was kind of awed at how much growth the maples produced - more than 3 foot of sturdy, stout branch growth.

I did not use nitrogen boost for the producing fruit trees that are already big enough - the plums and the cherries.  If they were smaller, I would have.  I do not want to overstimulate leaf and stem growth at the expense of fruit--bearing growth.  For persimmons, I read that extra nitrogen can lead to fruit drop.  Those trees were so small and young, I did fertilize them to stimulate more growth.  I read that the first year fruit often drops, and they did.  This year the Asian and Asian/American hybrid are tall enough, and will get no extra nitrogen in 2016.  The American persimmons are still very small, so I will fertilize those in early 2016.  The pawpaws grew very well, and have many flower buds now.  I don't think that fertilizing them prevented formation of next year's fruiting wood, and it did stimulate growth a lot.  I will fertilize the smaller ones and not the larger ones.

Apples and pears are susceptible to fireblight.  Rank, excessively vigorous growth is especially vulnerable to the disease, especially in the early Spring.  I have seen that happen, fast rank growth suddenly looks like it has been torched.  So for the smaller pome trees, it's a gamble.  You want them to grow well the first couple of years, so you don't have to wait too long for the onset of production, especially the first taste.  The pear trees and Asian pears are all big enough, so they will get no nitrogen boost.  Some of the apples are big enough - they won't get any, or won't get much.  The smallest apples might benefit from the extra nitrogen during their first year.

I thought about this when I bought the Maxie pear this week at Tsugawa nursery.  In the ground, this tree is 8 foot tall.  It is plenty tall, so needs no nitrogen boost.  If I bought a whip by mail order, shipping requirements result in it being much smaller and shorter, and I think I would have to wait longer for it to bear, or risk fireblight by fertilizing.

Figs are more sensitive to freezing if the growth is too rank and soft.  For the smaller ones, which is most of the Battleground fig trees, the plan is fertilize early - say, May, but not after that.  Use about 1/2 as much as on the corn, so 1 original 2 quart bottle goes to about 200 square feet.  That method worked nicely this year, and all growth was hardened off well before the first frost.  Most of my Battleground figs are in the 3 or 4 foot tall range, so still some growth is needed before I get significant production.  I hope to get a few bowls of figs here this year, and still have the big, very productive, Vancouver figs to satisfy me for the next year.

If you fertilize and the growth is fast and tender, then there is no rain, you risk losing the crops to leaf burn. Ditto for concerns about salts.  Concentrated salts lead to leaf burn and in severe cases, can kill plants.   Think of lawn spots where dogs urinate.  This can be a motivation to reduce salt in the diet, healthier for all.  By diluting and watering the dilute urine into the soil. we did not have any leaf burn issues at all, on any of the plants that we fertilized.  This was an especially hot, dry, summer.  We watered the vegetables and youngest fruit trees regularly, but only watered the young maples, lindens, and maples, 2 or three times.  Those are in the range of 10 to 20 feet tall.  They did not have any leaf burn at all.

Since we are planning some beds for chicken feed next year - seed sunflowers, milo / sorghum, and flint corn - I want to save some urine for spring use.  The same large juice jugs should work fine.  Many writers recommend storage for auto-sterilization.  There is more odor, which passes fairly quickly, especially when watered in.  There are no special requirements.  The jugs can be stored in shed or garage.  Some of the ammonium content is lost due to the alkaline state of the stored product.  Used quickly on opening, and watered into the acidic soil, I think this loss would not be a lot.  At least for manures, ammonia loss are significant only  if the manure is left on the soil surface.  Loss is also less if applied to tilled soil instead of residue, and in cool temperatures.  Similar concepts apply to use of diluted urine.

No fertilizing regimen is a cure all.  Judgement about which plants to fertilize, when, and how much, is important.   Every plant has it's own needs, and those needs change with stage of growth.  This method is mainly good for nitrogen-demanding plants at the time that they need extra nitrogen.  For the past 2 years, this is the only fertilizer that we have used, and the results were all positive.

Some people are very squeamish about peecycling.   On a web forum, several members were close to horrified about the topic, some spread misinformation and one member was almost threatening.   In addition, it's anatomically much easier for men than for women.  No system can be suitable for everyone in every circumstance.  A lot of education is needed to improve acceptance and reduce prejudice.  Peecycling, is sanitary, prevents excess nutrients from going into rivers and streams, probably prevents medications from going into rivers and streams and disrupting fish reproduction and concentration into fish.  Peecycling conserves water, reduces reliance on chemical / natural gas production of nitrogen, so is a responsible measure for those who, like me, want to be stewards of the environment and reduce our own role in climate change.  Peecycling is hygienic, safe, responsible, easy, and effective for many crops.

(All images public domain, from vintageprintable.com)

Addendum.  Pee-cycling is now almost sort of mainstream, to the extent that you can purchase Peecycling Coffee Cups and mugs.  Maybe people are less squeamish than I thought.

Urine Fertilizer. Eco San. Progress Report. 6.7.14

Urine for Fertilizer.  6.7.14

Ginkgo biloba with rapid growth.  6.7.14

 Last winter I ran across several web reports and research studies involving use of urine as fertilizer. I summarized the information here.  I could find, concentrating mainly on research reports and objective information, and background.  This is the report of my experience so far.

First, there is nothing scientific about my observations.  I did not do any comparative experiments.  Therefore, observations are just that - my experiences.

1.  Collection process.  No brainer.  Once you get used to peeing into a bottle, urinating toilet feels abnormal, wasteful, and strange.  It's easy  to pee into the bottles.  I discovered I've been watching my urine, and when it looks darker, I make sure to drink more fluids.  I rinse the bottles with each use, so they are clean.

2.  Storage.  I don't store the urine.  Usually, only 1 or 2 or 3 bottles collect in a couple of days.  As soon as possible, it goes into the garden.  That way, odor doesn't develop and ammonia is not lost to the atmosphere.

3.  Dilution.  These are 2 quart bottles.  There are 4 quarts in a gallon.  Watering can for garden is 2 gallons.  I usually use 1/2 bottle, so 1 quart.  Pour half bottle into watering can.   Fill with water.  So the dilution is roughly  1:8.   Different authors give different dilutions.  This seems good enough and is fairly cautious.

4.  Esthetics.  I don't see any issues.  Maybe it's because I'm male, but I don't smell anything in the garden.  I think it's more, with the dilution and most goes into the garden  immediately, the solution soaks into the soil and doesn't leave anything to evaporate.

5.  Application.  During late winter, I applied around trees and shrubs that I thought could use an early boost.  I did not use winter application around trees I thought were risk for too early growth and risk for frost.  Trees that got urine solution - Ginkgo biloba, lindens, maples, young apples, Laburnum, young cherries, young paw paws, young persimmons, mulberry.  Shrubs that got urine solution - Viburnum, Lilac, hydrangea, buddleia, forsythia, rose of Sharon, weigela.

Plants that did not get urine solution during the winter:  plums, pears, figs.

For annuals and vegetables, in late winter and spring, I used small amounts, dilute, for Four O'clocks, peppers, garlic, onions, tomatoes, potatoes.

4.  Benefits.  The benefit varied by plant.  Again, I can't claim this is a research project.  Comparing this year with last year -

Last year the lindens, both American and European, had pale appearing growth, and not much of it.  The American linden had about 3 inches of growth.  This year, it's not done yet, but so far looks like 18 inches.  The leaves are larger and dark green.  I'm not sure if the European lindens have more stem extension, compared to last year.  I think so.  The European lindens have stopped making new growth.  The American linden continues to make new growth.

Last year, the Gingko biloba, I moved here from Vancouver, grown from seed 1 years ago, didn't make significant growth.  It leafed out, but stem extension was under an inch.  The leaves were yellowish pale green.  I think the soil here is low nitrogen.  This year the growth is vigorous.  The top has grown about 18 inches, and show no sign of stopping.   There is slight distortion of some of the leaves - splits and a little bit of curl.  I may have used too much urine solution.  I will not add more.  I want the growth to mature and harden before fall.

The Laburnum is a mixed bag.  The growth is more vigorous, compared to last year.  Some of the new growth has curly leaves.  I also noted that for a couple of other plants, so i think I used too much.  However, the Laburnum in general has much more vigorous growth, compared to last year.  It is more bushy and stout.

The persimmons and pawpaws grew much faster this year, and bigger leaves.  The bigger more tender leaves may have attracted deer, who liked eating those young leaves.  They decimated the cherries, which they didn't touch last year.  I'm in the process of making more tree cages.

Other plants that appear to have benefited, with very vigorous, strong looking growth - Viburnum, Buddleia, Rugosa rose. 

I used a small amount on bearded irises.  I wonder if that contributed to the epidemic of bacterial rot, by causing soft too-vigorous, too-early growth   I won't do that again.

So far, the tomatoes look amazing.  Last year they were slow growing, and several were pale to yellow.  This year, they are growing fast, with stout stems, dark green leaves.  Some are blooming and others look close.  I think they are earlier and show a lot of promise.

I'm not sure about the peppers.  They don't look vigorous, but are starting to produce.  I don't think they like the cool nights.

I did not use it for root crops like radishes and turnips.  I would expect the extra nitrogen to stimulate leaves but not good root crop.

The 4 O'clocks didn't all get urine solution.  Of those that did, some had curly leaves like the Laburnum.  I stopped, and used water without urine, then very dilute balanced Miracle Grow for tomatoes, and now the leaves are growing out normally.

Gingko biloba top growth.  6.7.14

Redmond Linden.  Second Season.  6.7.14

Redmond Linden Top Growth.  6.7.14

Laburnum with Curly Leaf Growth.  6.7.14

Interim Conclusions.

I don't see much negative from this method.  Almost none.  I need to avoid over doing it.  Some plants may be too sensitive to the high nitrogen, the salts, or some other aspect.  I won't use it again on irises, and will be cautious with Laburnum.

Odor - wise, it does not linger like fish emulsion.

I think it's best to use within a few days of collecting.  During the winter, I may store in a cold shed.

There is the 

Plans.
 Some trees make a burst of growth in Spring, then spend the summer maturing and photosynthesizing to make next Spring's burst of growth.  Giving more nitrogen now seems counter productive, so I won't.  I'm a little concerned that some plants grew too vigorously and have 't stopped, so could be soft going into winter.  But we still have a long season ahead.  So I am hopeful.  The Buddleia grew so fast and vigorous, I wondered if it would bloom.  They are now producing many flower heads, so I think that's not a problem.

I gave the figs a one-time boost, but that's all.  I don't want them going into next Winter too soft and weak to survive.

I don't want to over-do it.  I think the tomatoes got all they are going to get.  The garlic is going into ripening time, so no more nitrogen.  This year the garlic is the biggest they have ever been.  It will be interesting to see if they went all to leave and stem, or have nice big bulbs.  The potatoes got a boost today, but that's all.  Again, too much nitrogen isn't good.  Other big-nitrogen users, from what I read - squash and zucchini.  So they got some today.

Laburnum with Vigorous, Healthy Appearing Growth.  6.7.14

It's interesting how much urine we make in a day.  I probably won't want to use any for trees, shrubs, vegetables in late summer and fall.  That would risk burst of growth that doesn't get to harden off for winter.  Then, rather than wasting it, I might sprinkle the grass.  The grass will take up the nitrogen.  When I cut the grass, the clippings are used for mulch, which benefits the plants many ways and gives a slow release of nutrients.

This is a concept that provokes some negative reactions.  A lot of people are misinformed, or uninformed, regarding almost every aspect.  Health, environment, resource wastage, sanitation, toxins, esthetics.  I hope as more information collects, gardeners can learn how to use this fully renewable, non wasting, beneficial method to benefit their gardens in a safe and effective manner.

Ecological Sanitation. Reconnecting the Loop. Recycling Nitrogen. Urine as Fertilizer. 1.25.14

I've been debating whether to include this topic in my blog.  There is a weirdness factor.   Difficult to dismiss.  It's also difficult to locate much information about ecological sanitation.  Especially, most articles concentrate on the gee-whiz factor, puns, and what various authors call the "ick factor".  In many articles, serioius data is missing, and the authors concentrate on silly euphemisms.  In web fora, the majority of commenters seem to have little information or expertise, just opinions.

Addressing the weirdness factor, via rational analysis of the issues, is the main reason for the length of this blog post.  Ecological sanitation, or eco-san, is the utilization of human waste for fertilizer.  In this case, human urine.  Other waste is a different kettle of fish, and I'm not discussing that.  This blog post discusses eco-san as applies in horticulture, for home garden, homestead, or permaculture.

Even with cultural disdain, I think this topic is important.  In a world of decreasing resources, increasing environmental damage, profligate waste, expensive horticulture and agriculture, and separation of human life from nature's cycles or web, any topic that addresses rational environmental stewardship, rationally, should be approached.  Voltaire said, "No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible."  That applies here as well.  Each person is responsible for waste and pollution they could otherwise prevent.

The main gardening fertilizer ingredient is "fixed" nitrogen.  That means, nitrogen that has been removed from gaseous form, and converted to a form that plants can use.  Historically, fixed nitrogen came from soil, decaying plants, and nitrogen content from animal waste, especially animal urine.  Soil bacteria converted fixed nitrogen into forms that plants could use.  The plants converted the nitrogen to plant substances, especially protein.  Humans harvested the protein-containing fruits, leaf tissues, tubers, stems, and seeds.  The nitrogen from those materials was digested, and most excreted as urea, in urine.  Much less went into feces.  That urine went into the ground, then into ground water, or rivers, or was fermented and converted into gas, lost into the atmosphere.

Nitrogen cycle.  This chart does not include urea, which bacteria rapidly convert into ammonium.  Image source:  wikipedia.

In most settings, usable nitrogen availability is the major limitation for plant growth.  Fertilizer nitrogen us used to boost growth of plants in farming and gardening.  Other nutrients or factors (pH, sun, heat, water) can be limiting, but nitrogen fertilizer is a major issue.

For a while, there were mines - usually of guano, which was made by birds or bats, accumulated in such vast amounts that it was mined and sold for agricultural use.  When guano was depleted, or insufficient for most agriculture, a more plentiful source of fertilizer nitrogen was needed.

Now, fixed nitrogen comes from nitrogen gas.  A highly energy-intensive process is used to convert nitrogen gas into fixed nitrogen.  The Haber process converts gaseous nitrogen into ammonia, which is used for fertilizer.  From wikipedia, "Fertilizer generated from ammonia produced by the Haber process is estimated to be responsible for sustaining one-third of the Earth's population.It is estimated that half of the protein within human beings is made of nitrogen that was originally fixed by this process."

Further quoting from the linked wikipedia article, "The Haber process now produces 500 million short tons...of nitrogen fertilizer per year, mostly in the form of anhydrous ammonia, Ammonium nitrate, and urea... 3–5% of the world's natural gas production is consumed in the Haber process (~1–2% of the world's annual energy supply). In combination with pesticides, these fertilizers have quadrupled the productivity of agricultural land....nearly 80% of the nitrogen found in human tissues originated from the Haber-Bosch process Since nitrogen use efficiency is typically less than 50%... our heavy use of industrial nitrogen fixation is severely disruptive to our biological habitat.

Then what happens?  Unless people are growing muscle (children), virtually of of the consumed food nitrogen is converted into urine.  Even in agricultural animals, most is made into urine, and much less into meat and dairy protein. 20% of dietary nitrogen consumed by dairy cows is converted to milk and meat.  The rest is excreted.   What happens to human urine nitrogen?  It is diluted by large amounts of purified, drinkable water - gallons to flush a cup or two of urine - which then goes into sewage treatment plants, and much ultimately into rivers and the ocean.  Where the nitrogen fertilizes harmful algae and causes significant damage to the ecosystem.

Organic growers have other sources of nitrogen.  There is blood meal, fish emulsion, alfalfa meal, composted plant material, especially grass, barn bedding - containing animal urine and feces, and other sources.  If not grown on site, all are purchased.  Blood meal, which comes from slaughtered animals, is expensive.  Animal wastes can be useful, especially if the animals are grown in one's own yard, such as chickens.  Alfalfa meal usually needs to be purchased, but at least can be grown with the alfalfa's symbiotic bacterial fixing nitrogen, instead of via the Haber process.

There is also human-sourced urine.  Since almost all f), ood nitrogen that goes in, must go out, urine contains most of the dietary nitrogen.  70% of nutrients excreted by humans are in the urine.  The chemical form is readily available to soil bacteria and thus to plants, same as Haber-process ammonia products.  In theory, if all of an individual's urine went into the agricultural production of plant protein, then much of an individual's protein requirement could be via recycled nitrogen.  Urine NPK (see below, roughly 11:1:3) is comparable in nitrogen content to fish emulsion (5-1-1 or 5-2-2 but my jug states 12:0:0), or blood meal (13:0:0 or 12:1:1),

What are the challenges that prevent use of urine in horticulture and agriculture.  In the case of this blog, horticulture?  Social and personal aversion, in-grained behaviors, established infrastructure for the current system, lack of established infrastructure for nitrogen recycling, ignorance, public health concerns, convenience issues, misuse, and esthetics come to mind.

Aversion - I suspect aversion comes from protective biological mechanisms, and cultural factors.  Aversion might protect us from unsafe or toxic substances.  It should be no more objectionable to use urea nitrogen from Homo sapiens, than ground up rotted fish parts (fish emulsion), rotted animal feces (composted manures), fermented animal urine (bedding compost), and steamed, dried blood from slaughterhouses - blood meal.  Chemically derived nitrogen fertilizer, in concentrated form, is highly toxic, or explosive.  So even though not from living or dead animals, is not less objectionable.

Ingrained behaviors - on a societal level, it's true.  Converting a city's urine to agricultural use would be daunting.  On a horticultural level, for one's own garden or homestead, especially males, there is nothing easier than urinating into a plastic one-gallon jug.  It's simpler than using the toilet, which has added movements on raising and lowering the seat, and flushing.  Among people who promote use of urine, there are options for women as well.

Established infrastructure - again, agricultural scale, daunting.  Individual scale, a gallon milk or juice jug is free, and would otherwise go into trash or recycle.  Then  use in garden via pouring into watering can, already there, and diluting with water from hose, already there.

Ignorance - the internet is great for autodidact learning.  Maybe the biggest hurdle is the weirdness stigma, or aversion factors, or esthetics.  In addition, there are few reliable sources that say how much, how much to dilute, when to use, over what area, under what circumstances.  Sources disagree with one another, substantially.  As I mentioned earlier, many internet discussions on the topic (such as on gardenweb) are filled with opinions, not data.

Public Health Concerns - Human urine should be no more concerning than use of animal urines.   Studies have repeatedly demonstrated safety of human - derived urine.  Those studies have been in 1st world and 3rd world countries, using community sources.  For the individual gardener, it's even less of an issue.  Sources repeatedly point out that urine from a healthy person is sterile.  Bacteria start growing in the urine when stored.  It can be used fresh, or stored long enough that the self-fermentation sterilizes the urine via ammonia production from urea.  Fresh use is more appealing, because significant nitrogen may be lost in storage via ammonia gas, and because fresh use does not involve storing jugs or urine.  Fresh urine has much less odor, compared to stored urine.  Again, the esthetics issue.  Most authors state, people with urinary tract infections shouldn't use their urine for horticulture.  I don't know if that precaution is necessary.  But it might be due diligence.  Outside of disease concerns, there are concerns regarding medications, antibiotics, metals, and chemicals in the urine.  There too, human urine is considered cleaner than animal sources, which use antibiotics approved, and not approved, for human use, for growth promotion and disseases; which create and spread antibiotic resistant and disease causing bacteria.  Animals are also treated with hormones, that may go into the urine in larger amounts than seen for humans.  I'm speculating there.

Convenience - For the home gardener, the convenience issue is mainly, there may be need for nitrogen supplement when there isn't enough, and urine production is continuous even when the garden is not growing.  Strategies include storage in containers, use on compost when not needed in garden, in-soil storage (basically, pour onto fallow ground.  Not well researched.  Nitrogen losses may be significant and salt accumulation may occur).  I could see this being a challenge.  As I noted, using fresh product seems preferable to older product.

Misuse - ties into ignorance.   Use too much, at the wrong time, and there could be leaf overgrowth as with any nitrogen fertilizer.  There could be accumulation of salts, especially in arid soils. Use concentrated, and salts may be toxic to plants, as noted in places where dogs urinate on grass.  Use, without watering into the soil, and there could be odor production.

Esthetics. - Mostly that's the odor issue.  I know there is urine odor in the dog yard in the summer.  When I am diligent about watering that grass, there is no odor.  And the grass growth is very lush and green.  So is the tree, which has flourished for 14 years.  The urea and other compounds wash into the soil, where bacterial ecosystem converts them into living cells, and into products that are bound by soil vs. taken up into plant roots, and used for growth.  Diluted, or used and watered - in, there should not be an odor issue.  Then again, fish emulsion, animal manures, barnyard waste, all have plenty of odor, which dissipates as does the urine odor.

 From Akvopedia, "
"Ecosan is not so much a technology as a way of thinking. It views (treated) human excreta and greywater as valuable resources that can be put to productive use. In that sense, it requires a change of thinking about waste issues in terms of recycling and closing material loops, where waste is no longer regarded as waste but as a resource."   In that case, I would call it a product, rather than waste.  But that's just me.

 I think this discussion puts together most objections related to nitrogen recycling via capturing what is lost from urine disposal, and instead rerouting this resource into gardening.  The next challenge is, how to use urine as a horticultural resource, in the garden or homestead, or other permaculture setting.

In this discussion, I won't get into how to collect or store urine.  The easiest approach is to urinate into a gallon jug and use within a day or two, to avoid spoilage.  There may be nuances involving season, weather conditions, or what is growing, when.  In addition, no one needs to let "the perfect" be the enemy of the "good enough".  If not needed or not able to save at all times, it can be flushed as is normally done by virtually everyone, virtually all of the time.

I have not sorted out all of the concerns about dilution, application, etc.  Most web info lacks many details.   It seems like most is just opinion.  The NPK for urine varies based on diet and nutrition, and water intake, but is roughly 10:1:4.  This source, states the urine of the average Westerner is 11:1:2.5.    Close enough.

From a different source (University of Hohenheim), one liter of urine contains:

Nitrogen 7 grams
Phosphorus 1 gram
Potassium 2 gram
Sulfur 1 gram
Magnesium 80 mg
Calcium 200 mg 

That data reflects the diet of the people studied.  These numbers are highly variable across cultures.  And, I imagine, individuals.  Then again, this is not rocket science or brain surgery.  This last reference - Stockholm Environmental Institute -  states urine nitrogen content is 3 to 7 grams per liter, and gives some rules of thumb for urine utilization - "general rule of thumb is to apply the urine produced by one person during one day (24 hours) to one square metre of land per growing season (crop). The urine from one person will thus be enough to fertilize 300-400 square meters of crop per year and even up to 600 square meters , if dosed to replace the phosphorus removed by the crop."  So for an 8X4 raised bed, that could mean dilute 1 quart of 1 liter of urine to about 2 gallons in a watering can, sprinkle that over the entire bed early in the growing season, then repeat a month later.  In an orchard, or around shade trees, it could mean applying a similar amount over a similar area, after frost ends and again a few weeks later.  For plants that grow throughout the winter, an application during winter might be helpful.

SEI also states, "Urine is a high quality, low-cost alternative to commercial fertilizers. It is especially rich in nitrogen and also contains substantial amounts of phosphorus and potassium. The fertilizing effect is rapid and the nutrients are best utilized if the urine is applied prior to sowing and up until two-thirds of the period between sowing and harvest."

The Hohenheim source states, urine does not need dilution when applied directly to soil, but is best applied before light rain The rain then washes the urine washes into the soil.  It is speculated that a heavy rain would wash the urine deeper than roots grow.  I don't know if that's true.  Many roots can grow several feet deep.  They also add, this is the same for other nitrogen fertilizers, not just urine.  Different sources give different opinions.

This reference states that using urine fertilizer every other week for 2 months, in Uganda, was seen to double vegetable yields.   That compares to no fertilizer, and the soil quality may have been poor. 

This reference discussed use of urine in Finland, for cabbages that went into sauerkraut.   The effect was essentially equal to using chemical fertilizers.  Sauerkraut is fermented from unwashed leaves, but there was apparently no issue.  This study showed that urine, used with wood ashes, resulted in 4-fold increase yield of tomatoes.  Again, in similar range to benefits of chemical fertilizers.  Also, the initial soil was nutritionally poor.  This article discussed use of human urine for fertilizer in Nepal. There are discussions of urine as fertilizer in China and Africa.

Assuming that one has decided there are benefits for urine / eco-san as fertilizer, and the negatives are addressed, then where to go from there?  There is so much conflicting info, it's hard to know.  Some thoughts....

#If possible, use fresh.  If out of season, urine can be stored in plastic 1-gallon jugs.  Some authors contradict this, and prefer stored urine.

#Dilute.   The mid range of most articles is 1:5.  Close to that, using approx 1/3 gallon in a 2-gallon watering can, makes it 1:6.  Some references call for far greater dilutions, 1:10 or more.  This is especially for seedlings or indoor plants.  I have not found evidence-based analysis of that recommendation.  Probably better to use to little, than too much.

#Water it into the soil.  I think when diluted 1:6, there isn't much need to water it in.  During non-rainy seasons, a light watering might be enough.  If there is odor, water it more.  Some authors make trenches or holes, pour in the urine, then cover them again.  That sounds like too much work, especially for trees and grass.

#Use urine for nitrogen-demanding plants.  That's leafy vegetables, tomatoes, okra, onions, garlic, corn.  Do not use for plants that are damaged by too much nitrogen, such as root vegetables.  Pour it on the ground, not on the leaves.

#Use urine when crops are actively growing.  For most crops, when they are setting fruits/vegetables/seeds, they don't take up nitrogen, so it's wasteful to use it at that time.  Used in late summer or fall, high nitrogen results in weak frost-susceptible growth on trees and shrubs, so it makes sense to stop by mid summer.   I've tried reading up on winter fertilizing.  Some references recommend application of fertilizers for trees and shrubs during the winter, to be available when growth starts.  I don't know if that is beneficial, or wasted, or stimulates growth that might succumb to late frost.   For plants that are especially susceptible to a late frost, it might be best to wait until after the last expected frost date.  Another option, apply to grass during cool season, then mow the grass for compost or mulch.  In my area, grass is growing lush and green now, even though it's January.

#If not able to use the urine, that's when flushing makes more sense.  Or adding it to a compost bin.  The high nitrogen content would speed composting of leaves or straw, newspaper and cardboard.

That's a lot of discussion for what seems like a simple topic.  But I think it's worth a serious thought, and sorting out the wheat from the chaff.  Much more work is needed to discover the best uses, how, how much, when, where, for what.

Resources:  Above links, plus
Scientific American.  Urine is an effective fertilizer.
Mercola.  Human urine is shown to be an effective agricultural fertilizer.
NW Edible life.  How to use pee in your garden.
Gizmodo.  Is human pee the future of fertilizer?
Permaculture Research Institute.  Urine.  Closing the NPK loop.
BigBlogOfGardening.  Human urine as fertilizer in your home garden?
EcoSanRes.  Guidelines for the use of ...
Permaculture in New Zealand.  It's as good as commercial fertilizers with no hygeinic issues.


Unless otherwise noted, source for all illustrations was vintageprintable.com

Wood Ashes / Sustainable Gardening

image via commons.wikimedia.org

One of these days I need to get the soil tested.  I could not identify a WA State agency that tests soil.  On a WSA website there is a list of private companies that test soil, but it was so complicated I gave up.


Meanwhile, I don't want to waste potential soil nutrients.  I think compost is generally well balanced, if it comes from kitchen and garden waste.  The raised beds contain a mixture of local soil - mole hills I collect from the 2 acres of lawn, finely ground by the little animals - and commercial compost by the truckload. Somewhere around 1/2 to 1/3 commercial compost.  The lower part of the raised beds is inverted sod, obtained from planting trees and shrubs around the yard; and weeds or rotting straw mulch.  I let the worms and fungi compost that in situ.

Meanwhile, on weekends we heat the house using a wood stove.  In general terms, the resultant ash consists of most of the nutrients a plant needs to make wood, at least, in concentrated form.  Oregon State University Extension site states wood ashes contain the 13 most needed minerals.  Nitrogen and sulfur are lost as gases.  With acid rain, sulfur is not usually in short supply but could be supplemented using epson salts.  Nitrogen could be supplemented using fish emulsion or, if the situation permits, fresh urine, 10:1 dilution in water. This last - saves on groundwater waste (flushing) - from this website, "Many toilets use between 50 and 100 litres of water a day to flush approximately 1.5 litres of pee. The average person has five wees a day and the average flush uses eight litres of water - that's 40 litres.".  I understand that last may be off-putting, but that's water I can use in the summer for watering vegetables trees fruits flowers shrubs; saves on groundwater and reduces salination of the drainage field and nitrogenous pollution of groundwater.

According to the OSU site, " The fertilizer value of wood ash depends on the type of wood. According to Sullivan, hardwoods produce about three times the ash and five times the nutrients per cord as softwoods. A cord of oak provides enough potassium for a garden 60 by 70 feet. A cord of Douglas fir ash supplies enough potassium for a garden 30 by 30 feet."  Areas to consider ash include  "As a general rule, acid soils that would benefit from ash application are usually found in those places in Oregon that get more than 20 inches of rain per year.  I could add to that, the effect of watering the raised beds through the summer, would also leach soluble nutrients, and nutrients are lost from the soil via vegetable harvests and plant materials that are removed.  Those plant material nutrients do get returned to the garden as compost.

According to the Ed Hume website,  Phosphorus content usually ranges between 0.8% - 3%, potassium from 2.8% - 8.6%, calcium from 14%-28%, magnesium from 0.8%-2.8% and sulfur from 0.3%-0.5%.  I imagine softwood ashes are at the low end of that, so N:P:K roughly 0:1:3 or something like that, with additional Ca and Mg.  I was thinking about adding Mg via Epsom Salts but with the firewood ash, that would not appear needed.  The Purdue website states trace minerals include " micro-nutrients such as iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc. Trace amounts of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, nickel and chromium also may be present."  I figure the bad ones, if present in cordwood, are everywhere else as well, so are not a concern for me.

I really should get the soil tested.  I may try this site.  Or this one - maybe better.

They also comment that " One-half to one pound of wood ash per year is recommended for each shrub and rose bush"

We use locally available wood, which is mostly softwood.  I doubt that we go through 1/4 cord in a winter.  The 30 X 30 ft calculation is 900 sq feet  My raised beds when completed will be approx. 12 X 4 X 8 = 384 sq feet.  The rest of the 2 acres is orchard, grass, and bushes and trees.    So for the raised beds, roughly 1/3 of the winter's ashes could go on the beds, with the remainder spread around the wider area of the orchard and grass/trees/shrubs.

In practice, I can't calculate it closer.  What I'm doing now is spreading a weekend's ashes on each unused raised bed, once for the winter.  The woodstove season extends more than 12 weekends, so I think that's safe.  The rest is scattered in a different area of orchard, or around bushes and trees, a fine dusting, each weekend.  Not around acid loving plants like conifers, blueberries, rhododendrons, camelias; or around potatoes.  I like that the atoms from trees, burned in the fireplace, can become atoms it the trees I'm growing.

Random thoughts, on a chilly rainy late fall morning.

Creating a Patina for Copper Beehive Roof.

First Treatment Oct 1 2013

 The copper roof of the first beehive darkened, but did not develop a light green patina.  The dark metal absorbed heat on sunny days, and was too hot to the touch.  I covered it with foam and reflective insulation, which helped.  But now I want a green patina, which will be much lighter, almost white.  That should reflect more light.

I looked up various recipes for creating a patina.  Just letting it weather, that could take years.

Most of the recipes called for various chemicals, especially ammonia.  I didn't want to buy chemicals just for this treatment.  I also saw historical information, and folklore, that sculptors and roofers pee on fresh copper to create a patina.

It sounds unusual, and to some might be unpleasant, but there's no reason not to use that approach.  I used a plant mist-er to spray fresh urine on the copper surface, then let it dry.  Each day that I'm at the Battleground place, I've been adding another treatment.


So far, so good.  A patina is rapidly forming on the copper top.  The first beehive, which is also outside in the same weather, doesn't have even a hint of light green.  Just dark oxidation.

I'll continue the spray treatment until the patina is more fully developed.  I like the effect so far.  There is no accumulation or discoloration of the white paint.  Despite what might be thought, no odor that I can appreciate.

The same liquid can also serve as deer and rabbit deterrent.  It has the advantage of being free.  The disadvantage is, it washed off in the rain.  I've been using up left-over liquid by spraying around fruit trees.

After 4 treatments Oct 8 2013