Do you pee in your garden shed?

Lotus-eater

I do know that nettles can be a sign of human habitation and this article says a bit more, They like the rich soil that humans build up around them. I don't think it's just down to urine, but if you do have a patch you want to grow big and strong, weeing on it will certainly help them.

nettles demand phosphates, and phosphates accumulate in the soil where humans and animals deposit them over a long period of time - in gardens and churchyards, along roads, in places where creatures have lived and (especially) died and been buried.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardenprojects/3303652/A-weed-with-a-sting-in-its-tail.html

And don't forget it's nettle soup time. We had our first pot over the weekend, lovely.

lostinrates

Our nettle patches are around the old sites of muck heaps. I'm worried what any future archeologist makes of our diet and bowels!

why do I always find a wee thread when i wander into greenfingered?

Fwiw I, female, often wee outside. My field s a fair way from home, and has a few spots where I'm either not visible or someone would really have to be looking for me. DH pees outside often, for deterrent of things that might like to eat our chickens. Our neighbours also wee outside (market gardener and another keen gardener). we have a standing joke tht at some point on a friday evening they must all be out there peeing at the same time.

I'm always slightly bemused when people find the idea repellent or gross. Peeing is perfectly natural, and the way we deal with the huge amounts of waste produced is fairly unsavory....it seems to be this is a pretty sensible and natural hing to do.


nb, women weeing out side in pairs....the number of times when hacking out or dog walking with a friend we've both decided we need a wee is amazing, we don't go in pairs as we nip behind the hedge, but rather take turns to hold the horses or dogs.

edit...its not just one wee thread! Loads of them! How funny!

rhiwfield

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I do know that nettles can be a sign of human habitation and this article says a bit more, They like the rich soil that humans build up around them. I don't think it's just down to urine, but if you do have a patch you want to grow big and strong, weeing on it will certainly help them.

nettles demand phosphates, and phosphates accumulate in the soil where humans and animals deposit them over a long period of time - in gardens and churchyards, along roads, in places where creatures have lived and (especially) died and been buried.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardenprojects/3303652/A-weed-with-a-sting-in-its-tail.html

And don't forget it's nettle soup time. We had our first pot over the weekend, lovely.

Some while back I was trying to understand what grew where and why and came across Ellenberg's indicator values, which shows what characteristics wild plants prefer (light, moisture, fertility, ph). Nettles and docks have similar requirements so they tend to be found in the same places.

The centre for ecology and hydrology amended the values for uk conditions and, if anyones interested, they can be downloaded for free at CEH

Lotus-eater

rhiwfield wrote: »

Nettles and docks have similar requirements so they tend to be found in the same places.

Good job eh?

I did a huge pot of nettle plant feed yesterday and used a few docks on myself, as I managed to sting myself a few times. My arm was still pins and needly all evening.

Lotus-eater

rhiwfield wrote: »

The centre for ecology and hydrology amended the values for uk conditions and, if anyones interested, they can be downloaded for free at CEH

Good lord! That's one hell of a lot of data, shame it's all in Latin.

Furny

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Good job eh?

I did a huge pot of nettle plant feed yesterday and used a few docks on myself, as I managed to sting myself a few times. My arm was still pins and needly all evening.

I was thinking of doing this for my toms after watching Alys Fowler do it on Edible Garden she just rotted some nettles in water in a bucket.
But hers where in the ground & mine will be in containers, don't suppose it will matter.
How do you do yours LOTUS- EATER, any special ingridients?

Lotus-eater

Be even better for yours in pots.

Nothing special, a big pot, a load of nettles, whatever comfrey I have spare, couch grass roots are good in there as well, I also throw dandelions and roots in as well, not sure if they are good, but I'm sure they must be.
Fill it up with water and cover, stir now and again to keep the stuff under the water and wait until everything is rotted.
That's it.

You can just use nettles like Alys, but I like mine to be more diverse, my theory is that it should have more trace elements and make it a more all round brew.
I also splash in some urine (keeping to the thread) when I'm giving it out to the tomatoes.

I've just sorted out the brew I make at the end of the year from comfrey and nettles, it's not as good as the stuff made in spring, but it's still ok. God it stinks though, I always forget how bad it is.

r_farnsworth

Lotus-eater wrote: »

And neighbours, especially if you tell them what you are doing.... even better if you do it with them watching

I did ask my husband the other day to pee in the compost bin the other day, forgetting that our fences are only about 1 metre high... would've given the neighbours a show!

Furny

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Be even better for yours in pots.

Nothing special, a big pot, a load of nettles, whatever comfrey I have spare, couch grass roots are good in there as well, I also throw dandelions and roots in as well, not sure if they are good, but I'm sure they must be.
Fill it up with water and cover, stir now and again to keep the stuff under the water and wait until everything is rotted.
That's it.

You can just use nettles like Alys, but I like mine to be more diverse, my theory is that it should have more trace elements and make it a more all round brew.
I also splash in some urine (keeping to the thread) when I'm giving it out to the tomatoes.

I've just sorted out the brew I make at the end of the year from comfrey and nettles, it's not as good as the stuff made in spring, but it's still ok. God it stinks though, I always forget how bad it is.

Thanks Lotus.
I am going to take my little lad on an adventure to collect all the ingridients.
He would have no hesitation with the splash of urine part if i asked him but best not as i wouldn't want him repeating that exercise somewhere he shouldn't saying he did it with me:eek:ha!:rotfl:

starstella

rhiwfield wrote: »

But his urine will be sterile and you may be doing more harm than good with your wet wipes.



"Remember a major component of urine is urea. Urea is commonly recognized as an effective antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral agent. Its mechanism is simple. The presence of urea in the urine is the result of the body's chemical balancing of sodium chloride and water ratio. When used on a wound, urea causes an osmotic imbalance that kills bacteria and fungus. It is so effective it is used in many topical ointments and creams sold pharmaceutically, both prescription and over-the-counter. Urea is found in a broad range of medicines used to treat inflammation. It is a main ingredient in the medicine Herpigon, used to treat herpes infections."

from LINK

When I was a little girl my Granny use to wipe my face with my brother's wet nappy.She said it was good for the skin and I didn't go through a "spotty" era.:D