Keep the Right Moisture. Lindsay Sheehan is a writer, researcher, and lifelong gardener who loves little more than the thrill of nurturing living things from dormant seed. Heres our guide to using blood meal in the vegetable garden. The uric acid in urine accelerates compost decomposition. Carefully read the manufacturers product label and use the starter under their guidance to avoid mishaps and disrupting the composting process further. Making your own compost accelerator is easier than you think, and requires just a few basic ingredients before adding it to the compost heap. Afterwards, you simply empty the tub in a drain and add the hair to your compost heap. In fact, it may be your most valuable source of free composting material! A by-product of the slaughterhouse, animal blood is collected and dried into a powdery form. Consequently, training your dog to urinate on your compost pile isnot a good idea. It boosts the health and vitality of your plants, and will even improve the taste of your garden produce. The fourth item on this list is the SCD probiotics C100 compost starter. Therefore, you might want to know the answer to the question, Is adding urine to your compost advantageous or not? For that, lets delve deeper into the benefits and drawbacks of using urine in compost. Suppose you rake up the fallen leaves in your garden. Amino acids, proteins, and even DNA are all synthesized with it. A single adult male could provide enough pee to fertilize 6,300 tomato plants per year, yielding 2.4 tons of tomatoes. Endlessly fascinated by the natural world and especially fond of native species, she is always on the hunt for new ideas and techniques surrounding organic gardening, permaculture, and environmental sustainability. This may seem like a lot, but considering that humans are about 60% water, that tells you that compost has a lot of room for a lot of water. As well as, do you have any idea what contains a lot of nitrogen? As long as you ask politely and explain your situation, the worst thing that could happen is a no. What is a compost accelerator? Compost will break down most efficiently between 150F to 160F (65C to 71C). It usually contains nitrogen, microorganisms, or herbs recommended for biodynamic decay. How Often Do You Empty A Composting Toilet? The fundamentals of a productive compost pile is achieving the proper volume, striking the right balance between carbon and nitrogen, always keeping it moist, and turning it over frequently. Nitrogen typically cycles back into the soil as plants decayed where they grew or when animals ingested them and excreted the nitrogen in their waste. Although human urine is composed of more than 90% water, the rest is made up of organic solids, primarily urea. Peeing on your compost is not only good for the soil and good for the environment, but it can actually increase crop yields and replace fertilizers entirely. In fact, the urine from all mammals plays an important role in the earths nitrogen cycle. What I do use is a compost thermometer. Approximately 5 kg of finished compost (3 percent of woodchip weight) will be added. Compost heaps should be kept moist but not soggy. That was a new one for me. Youll quickly end up spending more than $10 for just a couple of pounds, whereas a homemade compost accelerator could be made for no more than a few dollars. This is one of the hopes that many people have when they pee on their compost. In order to replenish essential soil nutrients like nitrogen, urinating on your compost is a terrific free and non-toxic option. With some basic knowledge, you can produce rich, sweet compost for all your backyard plants. Composted coffee grounds boosted the growth and yield of beets, cabbages, and soybeans in one experiment, while in another it hindered the development of alfalfa, clover, and Chinese mustard. The pee you do not use in your compost can be applied directly to the garden bydiluting it in the ratio of 10 parts water to 1 part urine. So what are your options with old layers of mulch in your garden? As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Wood ash in compost is a great way to mimic commercial fertilizers effects without adding any toxic chemicals typically found in them. To get the most effective use of urine without the effects becoming detrimental to the compost or your plants, there are a few things to keep in mind. )Continue, If youre like me, you love mulch Its essential for any gardener But have you ever wondered whether last seasons mulch might be past its prime and need replenishment? Sometimes, even the best-maintained compost system gets out of balance. Did you know that there will also be different bacteria in the heap depending on the internal temperature of the HOTBIN? Along with its tendency to stick together and form clumps, grass clippings can create anaerobic conditions that will cause the entire compost to smell. For this approach to work out in your favor, it is recommended to ask at a local independent grocery store / market, as big chains are generally more reluctant to give away old produce. I knew now that I would have to find an answer to the question that was plaguing my soul: should I be adding urine to my compost pile? An excellent natural fertilizer and compost activator, the urine of all animals contributes significantly to the nitrogen cycle on Earth. In this way, the composts microbial diversity is negatively affected by adding too much urine. Urine can be regarded as a green layer in your composting process since it is high in moisture, nitrogen, and uric acid. Microorganisms need moisture to thrive, otherwise theyll die and your compost heap becomes inactive. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is an incredibly useful little plant to grow. Note: The urine used in compost must not be contaminated by any fecal matter, which introduces dangerous pathogens to the mix. If you have a lot of urine in your compost, it might not smell nice because of the ammonia. (Problem Solved! Does urine speed up compost? Another idea could be to invest in actual insulation material, which you can get at any local hardware store in large or small batches. Whether they are beneficial enough to encourage you to pull down your pants, thats for you to decide. A compost accelerator could help jumpstart this process, and make sure it goes as quickly as possible. Power Rake Vs Dethatcher, How to lift riding mower to change blades, 1 can of flat, room-temperature beer (open the can and leave for 24 hours), 1 can of regular cola that isnt sugar free. Composting is an intelligent way to cut down on food waste and generate free natural and organic fertilizer for your garden. I've got a few of On the other hand, scientific inquiries into incorporating coffee grounds into garden soil as a fertilizer, or mulch, or in the compost have had mixed results. The decomposition process is one of many wonders of nature, employing multiple elements to aid the process from start till end: When these elements are present in a compost heap, youll get perfect compost that will enhance the quality of your soil as you incorporate it into the ground. Informal field experiments from the Oregon State University Extension Service found that compost composed of 25% coffee grounds is most effective for maintaining consistently high heat. Water is the main ingredient, which helps keep the compost pile moist and provides a suitable environment for the microbes responsible for decomposition. Regular aeration will also keep the clippings better distributed throughout the pile. Adding compost accelerator to your pile will add a boost of microbes to help the composting process. The beneficial bacteria in your compost heap process organic material by performing aerobic respiration. If the smell isnt a turn off for you and you can use the necessary quantity of urine without disrupting the plant-growth atmosphere or adversely affecting the vegetables, then, by all means, give it a go and see what kind of incredible results you get. The amount of urine added to the compost would be too much. 6 Compost Activators to Fuel Your Heap 1. If youre making a lot of compost, youre looking at a major saving. Just remember to always ask them politely, and bring a clean bucket for the coffee grounds. Humans need to urinate several times a day, but this doesnt mean you should pee on your compost pile every time you go past! For example, pre-soaking paper and cardboard with urine is one of the best ways to use these two composting ingredients. To process a pile of leaves or woody matter, apply blood meal at a rate of 2.5 ounces for each cubic yard of carbon materials. The feathers are then dried and ground up into a powder. Jobe's Organics Compost Starter 2. For example, you hear a lot of gardeners using ashes as fertilizer in the soil. According to The Grow Network, these 5 things are great compost boosters and are often completely free: Once youre done weeding your garden or mowing the lawn, save the clippings and add it to your pile. Have you been gardening longer than two years? Below is an easy step-by-step guide that explains how to create a homemade compost accelerator that will jumpstart the decomposition process. This includes things like manure, grass clippings, leaves, and kitchen scraps. Hi, Im Anthony.Im fascinated by composting! Add ingredients, stir. Because of its higher nitrogen content, alfalfa is a good ingredient to get a compost cooking. It gives you valuable insight into the soils starting point. In fact, the urine from all mammals plays an important role in the earths nitrogen cycle. This temperature range is hot enough to destroy pathogens and weed seeds, but not so hot as to kill off the beneficial microbes in the pile. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Everything You Need To Know. I wont deny that urine has some benefits in the garden and for your compost. If your pile slows down, it is typically because it has become a less hospitable place for the microbes which are doing the heavy lifting. Urine contains significant amounts of salts as well as poisons such as heavy metals. This is mostly a concern if the compost will be used on plants that will be consumed, especially if they will be consumed by someone who didnt produce the urine. The over-enthusiastic worm bin owner pours gallons of water on their worms. You can add these fallen leaves to your compostso long as you have not left the leaves on the ground too long. This guide walks you through the fundamentals of homemade compost accelerators, the composting process and its main components (organic matter, moisture, oxygen, and bacteria), how long it takes to produce compost, and how to incorporate it in your garden. Aside from the homemade compost accelerator recipe listed above, there are a few other things you could use to activate your compost heap and jump start the process. Follow these four rules and you shouldnt need any kind of compost activator. ThatBackyard.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com (at no additional cost to the buyer), About Us Affiliate Disclosure Privacy Policy Contact Us, Algreen Soil Saver Compost Bin My Review After 2 Years, Top Dressing Your Lawn With Compost (Best Time & Method). ), Can You Compost Old Mulch? There are a number of things that can be used as a natural compost accelerator. Others might be microbe inoculates, helping microbes grow and replicate a little more quickly. To hurry up the process, use a little urine! The high nitrogen and uric acid orureacontent of the urine help to speed up the composting process. Urine is a natural and inexpensive way to increase your composts moisture and mineral content, particularly nitrogen. Urine will undoubtedly speed up the composting process by increasing nitrogen levels. Urine can go straight into the bin or pile, as the uric acid in it will help speed up the decomposing process. If the compost doesnt heat up within 24 to 48 hours, add a little more. Additionally, human urine may deter rodents and other pests from disturbing your compost pile. However, you cant go on vacation since you must stay at home and urinate on your composite. Additionally, human urine may deter rodents and other pests from disturbing your compost pile. Although it might come as a surprise to many, its a well known fact among the gardening community that urine can speed up the composting process! A simple and rapidsoil testing kit like this oneis all you need. If you dont have access to bird feathers, feather meal is also an option. The same applies to store bought compost accelerators. Many great discoveries have happened accidentally? Might not smell nice because of the ammonia from qualifying purchases boost of microbes to help the composting process it. 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