Peecycling, is that next for council collection?

[Mr Gus]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... -the-world

If it were a localised drainage point of say 10 litre containers to a village I'd give it a go, algae bloom is a nightmare & it makes sense for large scale fertiliser production, clean up the rivers a bit more.

Memories of the out of the historic village drop off point for the local honey wagon spring to mind.

[AE-NMidlands]

I read or heard somewhere recently that phospate fertiliser is now so expensive (due to no Russian and Ukrainian exports plus current shipping costs) that it will actually be cost-effective to reclaim it from/before sewage works outfalls.
Sounds like win-win to me!
A

[nowty]

I read or heard somewhere recently that phospate fertiliser is now so expensive (due to no Russian and Ukrainian exports plus current shipping costs) that it will actually be cost-effective to reclaim it from/before sewage works outfalls.
Sounds like win-win to me!
A

When you think about it, even without the war, surely its no brainer renewably wise.

[AE-NMidlands]

I read or heard somewhere recently that phospate fertiliser is now so expensive (due to no Russian and Ukrainian exports plus current shipping costs) that it will actually be cost-effective to reclaim it from/before sewage works outfalls.
Sounds like win-win to me!
A

When you think about it, even without the war, surely its no brainer renewably wise.

...just as long as the method doesn't depend on loads of electricity or calcined limestone!
On principle it is probably easier to recover P from pee directly rather than from massively diluted sewage works effluent, but the collection wouldn't be a very attractive job. We already divert a high proportion of ours into the compost heap anyway.

[Oliver90owner]

Back 60 years (and before?) ago, we had a large scoop fitted on a long handle and the grid was removed from the drain culvert at the bottom end of the farmyard. Liquor was removed for the purpose of limited garden irrigation. Worked wonders on the peas and beans (as well as the flower garden).

Of course, well-rotted manure was also incorporated into the garden each autumn/winter, ready for cropping from those areas the following year. A 3 year rotation of roots, beans and tats wad usual, as I recall.

Not so safe these days - what with so many chemicals used on the crops (particularly the straw shortening chemicals).

[Mr Gus]

Such as Mepiquat

https://www.haz-map.com/Agents/5950

[AE-NMidlands]

Back 60 years (and before?) ago, we had a large scoop fitted on a long handle and the grid was removed from the drain culvert at the bottom end of the farmyard. Liquor was removed for the purpose of limited garden irrigation. Worked wonders on the peas and beans (as well as the flower garden).

Of course, well-rotted manure was also incorporated into the garden each autumn/winter, ready for cropping from those areas the following year. A 3 year rotation of roots, beans and tats was usual, as I recall.

Not so safe these days - what with so many chemicals used on the crops (particularly the straw shortening chemicals).

I worry about the wider effects of lots of agrochemicals too.
Your memory of the rotation is interesting, we have compressed our garden into a 3-year rotation, even though I think 4 is more conventional (and presumably safer, pest- and disease-wise.) We have got away with it until now (40 years in) but there are new insect pests, particularly Allium leaf miner, which are destroying our crops insteasd. Nothing to do with the rotation, just flying things moving N with global warming. The pests are so mobile that the crop location is irrelevant.

So we now have the onions under Enviromesh or fleece as well, when previous years it was only the leeks which got slaughtered if they weren't protected. Cabbages, kale and sprouting broccoli also under cover for protection against caterpillars... SWMBO asks if it would be easier to put the whole garden under a polytunnel!

[Bugtownboy]

OK, expert peecyclers, as a low tech approach to reuse, is it better to apply to the veg bed directly or incorporate into the compost bin as an activator/enhancer.

No I’m not going to collect in the house, but not averse to filling the watering can now and again, neighbours presence excepted

[Gareth J]

Apart for the issue of dilution and mixing with all manner of guff people put into sewers, the point of collecting and separation is to stop decomposition of the urea into ammonia, which happens when poohs and wees combine. More volatile ammonia is more readily lost to atmosphere. So keeping pees separate and concentrated is a win win.

Dilute it a bit in your own garden as it can be a bit scorching, especially in the dry. And use it on N loving plants. Tomatoes spring to mind but anything with a bit of protein on board will probably benefit.

Be a bit concerned using "pool" urine - gawd knows what some people's kidneys are filtering out!

[Mr Gus]

"it's the way of the road"

NSFW