wee-wee

[Polly Fouracre]

I read somewhere that human urine is good for breaking down your compost heap.
My sisters and I are in disagreement.I read(somewhere!) that only male urine works and that female urine actually inhibits the breakdown of vegetation.
One sister(sorry Dinah)pees,she says on her heap regularly and has no problem with breakdown.
Has anyone else any experience on this subject.If you don't keep hens/rabbits etc. this may be your only activator for your heap unless you use artificials.
A delicate subject,I know,but an interesting one and one that will be treated with the usual finesse one finds on this forum!!!

[carlseawolf]

yes urine is good for breaking down compost - and male urine is better than female urine due to the testerone in it acording to a report i read,
and yes i pee freely often , before you ask !

[Madasafish]

Yes, male pee works v well.
Dunno about female pee.

Keeps off foxes as well.
Badgers are more determined tho:-( and smell much worse: they use part of our garden as a toilet - regularly.

[rustylady]

All urine contains nitrogen which acts as a compost activator. Don't know whether male urine contains more than female, only that it smells worse

[NSB]

I keep asking my boyfriend to pee in the compost heap - wont tell what verbal reply I get!!! But it is good for the compost bin

[Madasafish]

I pee in the watering can: more privacy:-)

[Two_Sheds]

I read somewhere that human urine is good for breaking down your compost heap...If you don't keep hens/rabbits etc. this may be your only activator for your heap unless you use artificials.

Nettles are good activators, full of nitrogen too. Ditto comfrey.
Not only is urine good for the heap, but you will be saving gallons and gallons of water by not flushing your loo.
There's a useful little book on the subject "Liquid Gold". Try your library or Amazon.

[Madasafish]

Saving water is not a priority round here..the reservoirs are all full, have been all year and are overflowing...

I was going to joke that this thread is "taking the piss" but :-)

[moggssue]

Taking the subject slightly to one side (probably the best place for it actually!), I have only just started composting, in an old dustbin with a few holes drilled in the bottom - I didn't realise I had to have an activator? What is this and is it vital? Think maybe I need to get OH out there after an evening in the local!

[Phreddy]

Hi Mog,
No, it is not essential, everything rots down given time. We have a cess pit so using our own activater saves water and adds good stuff to our compost to bulk out our poor sandy soil.

The law of compost is:
A. Chuck it in a heap and leave it, you will get rotted down material in about a year.
B. Add an activater, it speeds the job up.
C. Turn the heap from time to time, it speeds the job up.
D. Get a bin, make holes for air, add material and roll or turn it end for end. Could get the good stuff in weeks.

Phreddy

[multiveg]

Saving water is not a priority round here..the reservoirs are all full, have been all year and are overflowing...

I was going to joke that this thread is "taking the piss" but :-)

Some people may be on a water meter so it would save money!
I and my son use a "potty" that was used by OH when he was small!

[moggssue]

Thanks Phreddy - since this is my first year with composting and I don't have any from last year I think I'll give the activator a go.

[NOG]

Don't bother with the actovator just wee on it. But Diluite it first. And sorry it has to be Man Wee....Woman wee no work as well.

[heebiejeebie]

man wee works and woman wee doesn't... makes me wonder what the activator actually is then! Maybe I should carry out a controlled test. I have 2 compost bins. I could wee in one and my OH into the other and compare the contents in 6 months.

(no, I'm not actually going to!)

[moggssue]

Will it work if diluted with copious quantities of beer before weeing?!?!