Peeing in the Garden

I have for many years done this very thing and I still do. I also use a much reduced ratio, cut with water for most of my houseplants.  And I also water my lazy compost with my urine.

I've just returned home from yet another hospital stay, ---------- and I agreed to go back on a somewhat long list of drugs (heart) does anyone know of a list of what drugs pass through our systems or a site I could look this up, what do you guys think?  Is this a problem or am I becoming "Wheaton" like and overreacting???

Peace

Deane Adams wrote:... and I agreed to go back on a somewhat long list of drugs (heart) does anyone know of a list of what drugs pass through our systems or a site I could look this up, what do you guys think?  Is this a problem or am I becoming "Wheaton" like and overreacting???

The dose makes the poison, and I would definitely try to research how the body breaks down the specific drugs you're on, and how much of the drug is excreted before or after your body breaks it down.

Ex: Digitalis is a plant chemical from Foxglove. There are likely microbes that can break it down, but the plant is considered "poisonous" ( hopefully one of our herbalists knows how poisonous, but my friend says I shouldn't let it grow near my chickens)

Carrying a watering can and "watering" your urine spot to dilute it, might also decrease the risk of a toxin being too concentrated. I do know there are people really concerned about how many medications like Birth control hormones that are damaging our waterways.

I do *not* think you're overreacting - you are attempting due diligence and I appreciate that fact!

This is a question for soils scientists re how microbes break things down.  But you can ask Google AI, which has access to all of that...  In the meantime, worry is bad for the heart, while plants love nitrogen.  So I think you should continue what you have been doing.

Do you have mushrooms? I think certain mushrooms should be able to break down pharmaceutical compounds. The only one I can imagine doing so is Stropharia rugosoannulata, but it might be that other nitrogen loving species do something with them. I believe Stropharia is a white rot fungus? Anyway, white rot, especially oyster mushrooms, are good at breaking down all kinds of nasty compounds. I am not sure oyster would tolerate the onslaught and so suggested stropharia instead. They are easy to get established in the mulch.

Gol-durn Jay thanks for the kind post.  I'm kinda having one of those moments as I was sure that I do not like you, along with that "bird" lady on the left coast.  Must be the increased blood flow or maybe a much better oxygen count now that the fluid built up is gone.

I'll have to spend some time thinking about this.  Please don't misunderstand I'm not ready to start a long distance hug fest, but should I do so, you're going to be the first, so there!!!

Or perhaps it is all Paul's fault with that silly be "nice" thingy???  

I do so hope that you are well and will always walk in Peace.  Thanks for making me smile!!

M, I do have Stroparia growing on the best ever raised bed in my backyard.  It's home to one of my mint beds that I dared the suckers to grow through eight to ten inches of the red oak stump, that was dying from the center, makes a wonderful raised bed and it's fun watching those pesky mint runners spreading across the top of the stump, before I turn them back towards the center planting area.  

I think for now I'll keep using the urine on my lazy compost piles.  I also plan to stop using it to charge my bio-char.  I'll just use the "worm" tea, until I learn more about how quickly these compounds break down.

Thanks all,

Peace

Welcome back Deane!
I think you've got some good advice above . I suspect that nature will deal with most things given enough space and time. I like to keep my wee one step removed from my edibles to be safer - putting in on my comfrey or trees rather than direct near my vegetables. If you have slow compost heaps with plenty of carbon rich 'browns' my understanding is that will degrade mainly by fungi, so ought to degrade some phama too.

My suggestion would be to not use urine on edibles.

Seems to me the compost pile might be okay if it gets hot.

I have a poor memory, so I can't remember the details of lots of subjects. I do research but I can only save a concise gestalt. In the place where I store an opinion on this subject, I think that meds with heavy metals in sufficient quantity run you some risk, but essentially everything else will find something in the garden to tear it apart and reuse the elements. So, for most drugs, peeing on your compost is beneficial and safe but it depends on the details. I think.

Look up the specific meds to see how they are processed in the body.  If they are processed in the kidneys, they end up in the urine.

For example, Wiki clearly states Digoxin ends up in the urine. Now, how it breaks down afterward when it hits the soil is another issue.