For garden plants in need of a genuine nitrogen boost, once or twice a month is generally fine, though some people will add highly diluted pee a couple of times a week. If you have more pee to give, try your lawn, trees and bushes.
Excessive amounts of urine will add too much nitrogen, slowing decomposing. Adding pee to a compost pile too frequently will result in a build-up of salts in the compost, which can lead to a toxic environment for the microbes doing the decomposing, slowing, or stopping the composting process.
While humans will urinate several times a day, it is not necessary to add it all to the compost heap – too much is not always a good thing. The main issue to consider when putting urine on compost is the ratio of green and brown materials that you have in the heap. Ideally, you want a 2:1 ratio of brown-to-green.
Urine, too, is a great compost stimulator. Obviously, the stiff shot of nitrogen and a bit of moisture both help, and the uric acid (urea) is also very beneficial. Uric acid levels are said to be the highest in the morning, so that's the best time to rain down on the compost pile.
Urine can also speed up the chemical process in the compost heap, making it a better fertiliser to help grow vegetables and save even more energy in reducing food miles. Male urine is better than female urine because it is slightly less acidic.
Urine can be used as a fertiliser without fear it will fuel the spread of antibiotic resistance, researchers have revealed – although they urge caution against using fresh bodily waste to water crops. Urine is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus and has been used for generations to help plants grow.
Not just anywhere is acceptable, but many places are. Dirt roads in remote spots are good. Avoid paved surfaces, areas near other campers and ornamental vegetation. Think about where you'd urinate in the wilderness and use such an area for dumping urine.
The pile should not be directly exposed to sun, wind, rain, nor sited in a low-lying place subject to unnecessary dampness and standing water. Strong sun not only dries, but also is hostile to micro-organisms.
You may be surprised to learn that your compost pile needs just as much water as your live plants. Dry compost doesn't work.
If you compost is too wet, it's probably slimy and smells bad. A good rule-of-thumb is the sponge test: your compost should have the consistency and moisture content of a wrung-out sponge when you squeeze it. Compost moisture meters are available but are more useful to commercial composters.
The consequences of having too much moisture in your compost are that the composting process will be interrupted, slow down, or completely stop! In addition, too much water will prevent air from circulating and make it difficult for the microorganisms to do their job.
Thanks to the urine separation, both the smell and the volume of the waste that must be disposed of is reduced. The urine is discharged to a collection vessel or infiltration, while the solid waste ends up in a compostable biobag made of corn starch which can then be composted.
Your Compost Smells Like Ammonia (Urine-like)
If your compost pile smells like a backed up outhouse toilet mid-August, then it's very likely that the pile has too much nitrogen ("green") materials for the amount of carbon ("brown") to properly aerate and break down.
Using compost tea as a foliar spray, drench, or simply added to houseplant water provides quick, easy-to-uptake nutrients in a gentle, organic manner. It is one of the easier fertilizing methods and can even be made from household items like kitchen scraps.
As a rule of thumb, actively decomposing materials should be turned every three to four days. Materials with slowed microbial activity can be turned less often. In tumblers, turning two times a week resulted in higher temperature and faster decomposition than turning once a week or once every other week (Figure 1).
Decomposition will be complete anywhere from two weeks to two years depending on the materials used, the size of the pile, and how often it is turned. Compost is ready when it has cooled, turned a rich brown color, and has decomposed into small soil-like particles.
Composting works in sun or shade Piles in sunny spots will decompose quicker but also dry out faster and may need supplemental watering during hot dry weather. Those located in a shadier spot will stay moist longer but decompose slower. In either case, make sure the soil below the pile is well-drained.
You can put your compost pile in the sun or in the shade, but putting it in the sun will hasten the composting process. Sun helps increase the temperature, so the bacteria and fungi work faster. This also means that your pile will dry out faster, especially in warm southern climates.
When you need compost quickly, a covered pile is the way to go. A covering holds heat in the pile, which helps the good bacteria to work more efficiently. The cover effectively speeds up the process, shaving weeks (and even months) off the time required to produce finished compost.
Overall, the biogeochemical degradation of a pulse of human urine extended for no more than 20–30 days after application, when at least 90% of the total N introduced by an amendment of urine was converted to NH3 and NH 4 +.
Because Diarrhea typically has a little more liquid in it than normal 'poop' you may find you might need to run the exhaust fan a little more than you would normally to help evaporate the additional liquid. Other than that, your composting toilet should function as normal, without any issues.
Create a solution using 8 ounces of hydrogen peroxide, 3 tablespoons of baking soda, and 2 to 4 drops of dish soap or liquid laundry detergent. Using a spray bottle, apply the solution generously to any stained areas, allowing the mixture to soak in. Wait for the mixture to dry.