Got a green thumb but lack green funds for fancy fertilizers? Well, hear you, hear you - you may have an underutilized plant superfood resource flowing right through your home and body this very moment!
I'm talking about pee, people. That's right, your number one and number two can actually help your plants become number one!
It may sound whacky, but harvesting human urine as crop fertilizer aren’t just for hippies anymore. Even Cornell University eggheads are pee-searchers now.
Professor Rebecca Nelson was roaming the streets of Ithaca with a crew of "PeePod" porta-potties to collect pure, unadulterated pee from locals to use for her plants. Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta grow!
It's all part of Nelson's mission called "Grow As You Go" to stop flushing and trashing precious poop nutrients and start recycling them back into our gardens where they belong.
Why Pee is Plant Food Gold
The logic is simple. The nutrients we eat end up coming out of our derriere or urethra. Instead of wasting that golden elixir, why not collect and dilute it for our plants, who are hungry for the same nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium?
Pee contains these key ingredients that plants crave. It's like a natural fertilizer smoothie! Plus, it saves on buying synthetic fertilizers and stops sewage from polluting land and water. It's a win-win-win!
How to Start Your Own Peecycling Operation
Want to use your own home-grown fertilizer? Start peecycling today!
First, you'll need a designated pee collection device. Many eco-loos allow for urine diversion. Or get creative with a bucket and makeshift toilet seat.
Dilute the pee with water at a 10:1 ratio for a balanced pee-nutrient cocktail your plants will love. Use it to water plants or add it to compost piles which gobbles up the nitrogen.
Pro tip: Add wood ash to stabilize the nitrogen and prevent over-fertilizing plants.
High-Tech Pee Sensors for the Perfect Balance
Some innovative Cornell students named Nadia and Veda were so jazzed about Nelson's peecycling, they designed a high-tech sensor system to create the perfect pee-to-water ratio for optimal houseplant health.
Their sensors measure nutrient levels in the soil and leachate liquid to let you know if your plants need more diluted pee-water or just regular water. It takes the guesswork out of pee fertilizing!
So grab your watering can, take aim at your tomato plants, and don't be afraid to sprinkle a little yellow magic. Your plants will thank you, the planet will thank you, and your wallet will thank you too! When nature calls, be sure to answer. Your garden's counting on you!
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