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Urine as a fertiliser
Jun. 29th, 2012 07:50 pmIn answer to a couple of questions:
Urine is a fabulous free fertiliser. It contains nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus in the ideal ratio for plants (in commercial fertilizers, you'll commonly see this referred to as the NPK ratio). It also contains a good collection of trace elements.
Logical really - it contains all the elements necessary to produce food for human beings.
It's also a liquid feed, which means that plants can take it up very quickly in their roots.
I started down this path several years ago after reading 'Liquid Gold' Surprisingly, given the subject, it's a light, entertaining read with all sorts of interesting facts.
I tried it on the allotment and found the results were quick and impressive. Onions did really well, ailing bean plants suddenly shot up. Courgettes and all kinds of plants love it. Right now, my only problem is not having enough to go round!
If you talk to older gardeners, they'll tell you that their parents and grandparents used this trick, especially during the war.
It should always be used dilute. Neat urine is too strong and could scorch roots. The ideal ratio is around 1 part urine to at least six parts water. It isn't a precise measurement. I use plastic milk bottles to collect and transport it. The screw-top lids avoid any risk of spillage or smell. Gentlemen can pee directly into the bottle. If I'm contributing myself, I use a jug and then pour it into the milk bottle.
I then take the bottles down to the allotment and use half a bottle to a watering can full of water. That's two pints/ one litre to a typical 2 gallon (16 pints) can which makes for easy arithmetic.
One of the most interesting results I find is that treated plants seem to be more resistant to slugs. I'm guessing the trace elements and NPK just improve their natural defences. Certainly, my much-munched runner beans are now showing several new shoots from once bare stems. (To be fair, I also removed neighbouring weeds which were probably providing shelter for the slugs.)
Try it - see if it works for you.
I made several converts when I last posted on this subject - it's very easy to see a quick improvement if you have an ailing plant.
If you're scientifically minded, try it on half your plants and compare the results. Apply once or twice a week for best results.
Urine is a fabulous free fertiliser. It contains nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus in the ideal ratio for plants (in commercial fertilizers, you'll commonly see this referred to as the NPK ratio). It also contains a good collection of trace elements.
Logical really - it contains all the elements necessary to produce food for human beings.
It's also a liquid feed, which means that plants can take it up very quickly in their roots.
I started down this path several years ago after reading 'Liquid Gold' Surprisingly, given the subject, it's a light, entertaining read with all sorts of interesting facts.
I tried it on the allotment and found the results were quick and impressive. Onions did really well, ailing bean plants suddenly shot up. Courgettes and all kinds of plants love it. Right now, my only problem is not having enough to go round!
If you talk to older gardeners, they'll tell you that their parents and grandparents used this trick, especially during the war.
It should always be used dilute. Neat urine is too strong and could scorch roots. The ideal ratio is around 1 part urine to at least six parts water. It isn't a precise measurement. I use plastic milk bottles to collect and transport it. The screw-top lids avoid any risk of spillage or smell. Gentlemen can pee directly into the bottle. If I'm contributing myself, I use a jug and then pour it into the milk bottle.
I then take the bottles down to the allotment and use half a bottle to a watering can full of water. That's two pints/ one litre to a typical 2 gallon (16 pints) can which makes for easy arithmetic.
One of the most interesting results I find is that treated plants seem to be more resistant to slugs. I'm guessing the trace elements and NPK just improve their natural defences. Certainly, my much-munched runner beans are now showing several new shoots from once bare stems. (To be fair, I also removed neighbouring weeds which were probably providing shelter for the slugs.)
Try it - see if it works for you.
I made several converts when I last posted on this subject - it's very easy to see a quick improvement if you have an ailing plant.
If you're scientifically minded, try it on half your plants and compare the results. Apply once or twice a week for best results.
