In a vain attempt at producing gold, 17th-century alchemist Hennig Brand accidentally discovered elemental Phosphorus while heating in a glass retort the residues from boiled-down urine. In modern times, this ‘liquid gold’ is seen as a potent source of increasingly limited phosphorus and useful nitrogen fertilizer. Its application in the garden is profound, but it should not be used without careful consideration.
Join us for a continuation of our Waste Not series, where biochar facility manager Dan Hettinger takes an in-depth exploration into the chemistry and applications of everyday household waste materials. We’ll explore the chemical composition of urine and establish methods for safe application. Following, Dan will share his experience using urine as a primary nutrient in hydroponic growing and experimental duckweed farming, along with other obscure historical uses, including its use in natural dyeing processes and the manufacture of saltpeter. This is part 5 of the edited version from the live stream with corrected audio and higher video quality. Dan begins by talking about direct applications for urine in the garden.
WHO recommendations… Lol
Perfect timing for everything happening and a huge amt of info condensed . thanks very much for the video . its good to know ! take care
You look tired man, hope everything is going ok.
Without watching I have peed in my garden without worries…
I use mine to grow my bananas. My soil is extremely poor and it will absorb anything I add to it. So I add the 2/3 bucket of pee every 3rd day and water in a little. That should equal a 4:1 ratio of water to pee. It's just me at home so I can only supply enough for the bananas as I have 12 plants growing which equates to quite a lot of nitrogen requirement. I also have cassava and passionfruit growing in the same area which I use for mulch. I chop them down in between the banana trees. When a tree makes a bunch I chop down the tree and lay it on the ground as well. My trees are healthy but the fruit could be bigger. I am probably not adding enough K and P. In the last 4mths I have been adding more so I am hoping to see an improvement in the size when the next bunch appears in about 4wks time. I never keep the urine in a container as it would smell too much. I much prefer to spread it out while it is fresh and water in straight away. Then scrub the bucket ready for use again.
This is much needed information for gardeners!