RainsWriter: Fertilizer Potential

​Oh, yuk! Don’t tell me the imported beets I am eating have been fertilized with urine! Maybe. Fifteen percent of our food products are imported. Some countries do use urine as fertilizer.

Urine is full of the same minerals that are used in the making of fertilizers. Potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus are three of the many minerals that are excreted in urine by billions of living creatures around the world. These three ingredients are also the main stays of most fertilizers.

​Scientists have found that urine, for the most part, is sterile when it leaves the body. That must be true because astronauts on the International Space Station drink purified urine. I would guess that those of you who have signed up to be the first settlers on Mars will be doing the same.

Image via bairli1 of Pixabay. Click here to view their gallery.

​Historically, urine has been used numerous ways. Native Americans used it to bleach animal skins and make them soft. When urine is left sitting, it turns to ammonia. The ammonia also helped the fur fall off the skins.

The ancient Romans had urinal vats on the streets. The vats were collected when full and used in laundries. The Romans also used it to wash and whiten their teeth. In some small German communities, troughs for catching urine are used in cow barns. It is then used to fertilize fields.

At a previous residence, when the deer were eating my apple trees and harvesting my garden, I inquired on a garden blog what could be done. An answer came from a gardener in Canada who said that she hesitated putting the information on the internet but that it did work. She wrote that her mother urinated around her garden and flower beds. The deer stayed away! Sort of like marking your territory. This procedure had to be done each time after it rained.    

Since her mother lived on a remote country homestead, this could be done. For goodness sakes, I am not advocating that you do this. Indecent exposure is against the law!

If urine is not diluted, it can be caustic. This we know from seeing plants die upon which our dogs have habitually raised their leg.The formulas vary but 1 part urine to 5 parts water is suggested for watering flowers, or if you are brave enough, veggies.

Is the use of this substance another missed opportunity for natural fertilizer while big companies sell us toxic chemical solutions?

Who knows, instead of using cooking oil or ethanol to power our vehicles, our cars may someday be powered by pee. Now, has anyone heard what that improved, non-explosive recipe includes for the new fertilizer plant in Posey County?

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©Ann Rains, September 2013