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.

Four O'clocks. 6.7.14

Four O'Clock "Marbles".  60 Days from Germinaation.  6.7.14

Four O'clock "Marvel of Peru".  60 Days from Germination.  6.7.14

These were planted early April.  Most seeds were germinated almost exactly 60 days ago.

The plants in large containers are doing best.  The temp in Vancouver is one or two degrees warmer then Battleground, and that small difference makes for much more rapid growth for some plants, such as these. 

They are getting 1/4 tsp miracle grow for tomatoes, in 2 gallons of water, with each watering.  

They seem to have nascent flower buds.  That would be nice.

14 year old Chusan Palm. 6.7.14

Trachycarpus fortunei.  14 years old.  Vancouver WA.  6.7.14

Trachycarpus fortunei.  14 years old.  Vancouver WA.  6.7.14

When we planted this tree, we thought it might not survive the winters here.  The coldest so far was last winter.  Coldest temp was 8F.   Didn't faze it.

Sometimes I trim the bottom leaves.  I don't like the trees with most of the leaves removes, so they look like a sick bird's tail.

This serves as a reference for the tree I planted recently at Battleground.  I like these trees a lot.

Chusan Palm is the same as Windmill Palm is the same as Chinese Windmill Palm.   It is one of the most cold hardy types of palm tree.

Fig Progress Report. 6.1.14

Fig trees

 The fig tree starts are doing better than I expected.

Only one is definitely dead - Atreano.

Two of the others have barely visible growth - Petite Negri and Champagne.

Brunswick has compact, strong appearing growth.  The stems are not elongating much.  That suggests limitation by nitrogen.  I don't want it to grow weak lush growth that will be susceptible to next winter's freezes, so I didn't give it any nitrogen boost.  I did snap of growth tips from branches that had 4 to 6 good leaves, to stimulate fig production.

Sal's is taller, but not much growth, compared to the newer starts south of the house.  I pruned it to a single trunk, and gave it, and the others in this row, a one time organic nitrogen boost.  I won't give more, for the same reason I'm not giving any to the Brunswick tree.

LSU Tiger has good,vigorous growth.  Smith and Carini also look pretty good.

LSU Tiger fig

 These are mulched with grass trimmings from the surrounding lawn.

The organic nitrogen boost is from the usual source.  I used approx 1:7 dilution, with 2 gallons sufficing for all of the trees.

Before I leave today I should give them some deer protection.

Smith Fig

Sal's Fig

Snapping growth tip from Brunswick Fig.

Bud Grafting Asian Plums. 5.31.14

Bud Grafting Book Illustration

Yesterday I cut some shoots from the Vancouver plum trees, to provide buds to graft onto the younger plum trees in Battleground.

Bud grafting needs to be done when the bark is loose, or "slipping" as stated in books.  If an incision is made in a fairly young stem, the bark lifts from the underlying tissue fairly easily.

I wanted to work quickly, so did not take photos of the process.  I have never done or seen this procedure, so it's a gamble.  That never stops me.

The illustration is an old book illustration.  It is long past copyright.

Shiro bud graft on unknown stock.

Red leaf plum bud graft on unknown stock.

 First, I made the T incision on the stock.  I chose branches that looked juicy and young, this year's growth or 1 year old.  I eased the bark off the underlying tissue, then placed it back while cutting the bud scion.

Then, I cut the leaves from the scion branches, leaving the amount shown.  That serves as handle.

I used a very sharp grafting knife, cutting through the young bark to make a shield with central bud, as in the illustration.  I peeled that off the donor branch.

The shield is slipped into the T incision, then wrapped with plastic grafting strips.

It sounds easier than it is, but I felt like most of these attempts had a chance to survive.

I noticed, the moist inside wood was white, but changed to brown in a few minutes.  I don't know if that's harmful, but I suspect it's not good.  I proceeded as quickly as possible.

This is early for budding.  If they take, it's possible they will start growing in a few weeks.

Shiro bud graft on Methley stock.

If these grow,  they will provide pollinating branches within each tree.  In addition, the unknown plum tree doesn't seem productive.  It might help to have pollinating branches on the tree.  These grafts could also be the start of converting the tree to proven varieties, such as shiro.

Budding now also gives me practice to try again later.

I also noted one of my pruning efforts earlier this year stimulated one very vigorous new growth, with easily sliced and manipulated bark.  That served as stock for two budding attempts.  If they take, ultimately they might replace a branch of the tree.