Yep, human urine can be used in the garden–diluted of course
From flush to fertilizer—why your morning pee might just be the secret sauce your tomatoes have been begging for.
Picture this: It’s dawn. The birds are chirping, your morning beverage is brewing, and you stumble bleary-eyed into the bathroom. As you do your business, little do you realize—you’re producing liquid gold. Nope, not a metaphor for your amazing bladder control, but literal nitrogen-rich, phosphorous-packing, potassium-pumped plant juice.
Yep. We’re talking about urine. The stuff you’ve been flushing away for years like it’s garbage… when in reality, it’s the front-row, all-access backstage pass to a blooming garden.
The Yellow Truth
Before you gag and grab the Lysol, let’s get one thing straight: urine isn’t “waste” in the way we think of waste. It’s 95% water, 2.5% urea (which converts to nitrogen), and the rest is trace minerals that your body’s done using—but your plants are just getting started. Think of it as a custom-blended smoothie your kidneys made for your kale.
Urine contains:
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Nitrogen (N) – leafy growth booster
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Phosphorus (P) – root development hero
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Potassium (K) – flower and fruit production power-up
Basically, it’s a free, sterile, high-performance fertilizer, straight from the source. And you don’t even need to go to Home Depot.
“Urine” Trouble If You Don’t Dilute It
Hold your hose! Before you start peeing directly on your petunias like some kind of garden vigilante, know this: it’s got to be diluted. Think one part urine to 10–15 parts water. Why? Because straight-up pee is like espresso—too strong and not great for small plants unless you want your tomatoes to file a restraining order. (This is why Fido’s urinating kills the grass. It’s too potent.)
To fertilize:
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Mix 1:10 (urine:water) for established plants.
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Go gentler (1:15 or even 1:20) for seedlings and container plants.
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Avoid splashing on leaves—just like with compost tea or other liquid fertilizers, root zone application is best.
The Dos, The Don’ts, and the “Did You Really?”
✅ DO:
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Use first morning urine—it’s the most nutrient-rich (and let’s be honest, available).
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Apply only to well-established plants.
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Rotate application areas—just like rotating crops, don’t overdo any one spot.
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Keep it in a sealed container and apply within 24 hours for best results.
DON’T:
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Use urine if you’re sick, on medications that pass through the body unchanged, or consuming an unholy amount of Hot Cheetos (your plants deserve better).
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Use it undiluted—unless your goal is to make enemies with your squash.
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Store it for weeks unless you really want to explain that jar to visitors.
♀️ “Wait, is this legal?”
Yes. In your own backyard, you’re free to relieve yourself of synthetic fertilizers and adopt a more… personal touch. Just keep it neighbor-friendly. No peeing in plain sight unless you also want to fertilize your arrest record.
From Ew to Enlightened: Why It Works
As long as you keep producing urine, your garden has nutrients.
Here’s the kicker: countries around the world are already doing this on a large scale. Sweden has entire community initiatives that collect and reuse human urine for agricultural purposes. Some NASA scientists even proposed it for space gardens. (Because hauling Miracle-Gro to Mars ain’t cheap.)
If it’s good enough for Martian potatoes, it’s good enough for your backyard zucchinis.
Reflecting in the Bathroom Mirror
This is one of those moments where prepping and sustainability overlap like peanut butter and jelly… or like compost and banana peels. Using urine in the garden is a prime example of closing the loop, reducing waste, and embracing a lifestyle that says, “Why throw away what you can grow with?”
And let’s be honest—you had no idea your body was secretly moonlighting as a Miracle-Gro factory, did you? I mean, sure, your resume says “parent,” “neighbor,” “hobby homesteader,” but turns out you’re also Head of Fertilizer Production, courtesy of your kidneys. You’re basically a walking, talking, slightly hydrated superhero of sustainability.
Plus, you get to say things at the dinner table like:
“These carrots were grown with love, sunshine, and a dash of me.”
Guaranteed conversation starter.
Final Splash of Wisdom:
Your garden doesn’t care that it’s weird. Your plants aren’t judging. Your broccoli isn’t whispering behind your back. Nature’s been recycling since the dawn of time. You’re just catching up—with a little sass and a full bladder.
So the next time nature calls…
Answer it—and then use it to fertilize your tomatoes.
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