Urine in the vegetable garden does more than you think

Splash splash splash, a puddle in the vegetable garden. No, it's not about rain that stays in the vegetable garden. Urine in the vegetable garden ??? Yes, this article is indeed about 'pee' as fertilizer in the vegetable garden. Urine is sterile and contains no bacteria as long as you are healthy and not taking medication. Read this article carefully and keep it civilized, will you?

Can urine be used in the vegetable garden?

Scientists did the test by growing cucumbers . They did not choose cucumbers for their shape (just kidding) but because they are sensitive to bacterial diseases and can be eaten raw, so you can test the taste more neutrally. The cucumber plants produced more and larger fruits after a treatment with urine. The plants were just as healthy and had just as much taste. The test was then successfully repeated with root vegetables and grains. In Denmark, beer was brewed from barley that was fertilized with 40,000 liters of urine that was collected at a music festival. There was also a story about someone who turned water into wine, this is just as impressive.

Feeding your plants with urine

Imagine that urine is really a good fertilizer. What would that not mean for the global hunger problem and what advantages would we organic vegetable gardeners not experience. In many poor countries they cannot afford fertilizers. Also, there is often insufficient (drinking) water available for people and fields. What are the advantages for us, vegetable gardeners? First and foremost, urine consists of 95% water. Doesn't sound bad, what garden doesn't need water? That water contains trace elements (small particles), vitamins and minerals that are useful for the growth of our crops. But the most important thing is in that remaining 5%. That 5% contains urea.

What is urea?

Urea is an organic chemical element that is produced when our liver processes proteins and ammonia. Half of the urea that our liver produces remains alive in our body, the other half leaves our body via the kidneys and our urinary tract. So what exactly is urea? Urea also happens to be the largest component in modern commercial fertilizers. Urea has almost replaced ammonium nitrate in agricultural fertilizers. Despite the fact that this urea is artificially made, the composition is identical to what our body produces. Fertilizers based on urea can therefore be considered organic fertilizers. Urea contains a lot of nitrogen, an essential component for the health and growth of your plants (the NPK value of urine is 11-1-2.5). The difference between fertilizers and urine is of course the concentration of the substance urea. The concentration of urea in manufactured fertilizers is more constant and more concentrated than what we find in our urine. But the same applies to both urine and commercial fertilizer: if you apply it to the vegetable garden, it is converted into ammonia and nitrogen.

Tips for using urine in the vegetable garden

Is urine good for the vegetable garden? Yes, that is already clear. But you will also have seen that where pets often pee, for example, yellow spots remain on the lawn. In fact, that is nitrogen burn. So when you use urine in the vegetable garden, definitely keep the ratio at 10% urine, 90% water. Also only apply this with fresh urine, urine loses its strength very quickly. Pee and pour, so. A good tip, just like with any liquid fertilizer, is to pour with clean water before application. Urine can also be used as a foliar fertilizer. You can spray it on the leaves of your plants. But then you best use a ratio of 5% urine, 95% water. You also best stand with the wind in your back :) Given the high nitrogen content in our urine, you can apply it diluted as explained above, a bit like nettle manure. On young plants for leaf growth and firmness. Later you can switch to a liquid fertilizer with a higher potassium (also called potassium) such as comfrey manure or Liquid fertilizer for fruit crops and herbs . Once you are past the 'Jekkes phase', you may be very happy with the results of your pee. Good luck!