Feces as fertilizer. Conversation on a spicy topic: Human manure
First of all, is it possible to use this “good” to fertilize garden and vegetable plants on the site? It is not only possible, but also absolutely necessary, since it is the most valuable organic fertilizer.
Fecal fertilizer consists of human feces and urine. This is a very strong and fast-acting complex fertilizer that contains up to 1.3% nitrogen, up to 0.3% phosphorus, and more than 0.3% potassium. Up to 80% of the nitrogen in feces is in the form of ammonia and is very well absorbed by plants.
Many gardeners use feces in their pure form in the fall when cleaning cesspools. To do this, ditches about 50 cm deep and of arbitrary length are dug near the trees, where feces are placed and carefully covered with a thick layer of soil. But this method of storing and using feces is imperfect, since it leads to very large losses of nitrogen.
To prevent nitrogen loss and the spread of infectious diseases, all feces must first be composted, mixing them with high-moor, infertile peat. As a result of the biochemical process that occurs in the compost heap at high temperatures, pathogenic bacteria contained in feces quickly lose their viability. We'll talk about this in more detail below.
But we should not forget that ready-made peat and fecal compost cannot be used for sanitary and ethical reasons for vegetable crops and garden strawberries, which we mainly eat raw.
The most common, but extremely imperfect, method in gardens is to store feces in their original form in cesspools dug under toilets. A much better method is to systematically cover the feces with dry peat.
At the same time, peat crumbs are poured into the bottom of the cesspool or box in a layer 20-30 cm thick. In the future, in order for the feces to be covered, dry peat must be added to the cesspool daily. In this case, rainwater or snow should not fall into the cesspool.
It is more rational in the conditions of a garden or summer cottage not to make a cesspool, but instead to install a metal or tightly knit, tarred wooden box. At worst, a galvanized tank for boiling laundry will do. Dried peat is poured into the bottom in a layer of 4-5 cm, and peat crumbs are thrown into the box from a bucket in the toilet as needed.
Regular addition of small portions of superphosphate will help get rid of the unwanted smell of feces. At the same time, the specific smell disappears, sanitary conditions improve, nitrogen losses are significantly reduced, and flies do not breed in the box.
But the most rational way to use feces accumulated in a box or in a tank is to prepare peat and fecal composts from them. In this case, acidic high-moor peat, which is practically useless as a fertilizer, is used, which contains quite a lot of nitrogen in a form inaccessible to plants.
And the resulting peat compost as a result of such composting is a very strong and fast-acting complex fertilizer, which contains much more nitrogen than manure.
In order to prepare such compost, place a layer of peat 40-50 cm thick under a canopy, add a little superphosphate and wood ash, make a hole in the peat where feces are poured, and add several buckets of hot water for quick heating. Then they are covered with a layer of peat chips 15-20 cm thick and covered with film on top.
It is important that the process of composting feces in a pile takes place at a temperature of 55...60°C, which is favorable for neutralizing pathogenic microflora. To improve air exchange in the stack, it is necessary to make holes by piercing it from top to bottom in several places with a wooden stake. The compost heap is watered from time to time with an infusion of herbs, slurry or water remaining after washing dishes (but not with washing powder).
If necessary, new layers of peat and feces are added to this pile. But in this case, complete disinfection of the compost will occur slowly, so it can be used no earlier than 1.5 years after the last addition of feces.
The best time to prepare such compost is from May to October. If you did not have time to finish the job, then before frost, the compost heap must be covered with earth and then with dry leaves to protect it from freezing. And I remind you once again that it is advisable not to use such peat and fecal composts on vegetable and strawberry beds, but in an orchard - please.
The use of human feces as fertilizer is quite an exciting issue. There is a lot of controversy about this phenomenon. On the one hand, human feces are a fairly good and affordable fertilizer. But on the other hand, there is a lot of controversy about the dangers of its use.
Human waste
Human waste consists of fecal matter, which contains feces and urine. Feces contain many minerals. This mixture is a fairly useful and effective type of organic fertilizer. This fertilizer contains 1.3% nitrogen, 0.3% phosphorus and 0.3% potassium.
Fecal fertilizer is twice as rich in nitrogen as manure. All these minerals are presented in a more digestible form for plants than in other organic fertilizers. Almost all the nitrogen from such fertilizer is completely absorbed by plants. But farmers and gardeners in most cases prefer organic fertilizers obtained from the life of birds and animals.
Is it possible to fertilize the soil with human feces?
In many countries, it is prohibited by law to use human feces as fertilizer in its pure form. In such countries, large firms are engaged in the production of fertilizer from human excrement.
Today, technologies have been developed for processing human waste and producing fertilizer from it. In countries such as America, Great Britain and Japan, there is a whole industry of such production. Fertilizers rich in phosphorus and nitrogen, vermicomposts and other fertilizers are produced from human waste and manure. The industrial production process consists of heat treatment, disinfection and enrichment.
The fertilizer produced on special equipment is widely used for landscaping stadiums, lawns on golf courses and other landscape design work. This fertilizer is not used to fertilize vegetables, cereals, fruits and other crops used for food.
Using feces as fertilizer
Despite all the disadvantages, it is possible to use human feces as fertilizer. But this must be done very carefully and all precautions must be taken. Some gardeners even allow the use of feces as fertilizer in its pure form. But only as a fertilizer for flowering trees and ornamental plantings. This should be done in the fall, after harvesting. You should dig a furrow around the trees at least half a meter deep, pour out the contents of the toilet pit and bury it well.
Some gardeners advise burying the contents of the country toilet a couple of times a week in different corners of the site to a depth of 30-40 cm. The main thing is to follow the order of the holes and not repeat places more than once every six months. This will additionally scare away rodents and moles from the area.
Can human feces be used as fertilizer safely and effectively? The most convenient and effective way is a peat toilet. A peat toilet will allow you to timely clean the cesspool and at the same time make it an excellent fertilizer for the garden. In addition to this, peat will help get rid of unpleasant odors and annoying flies.
To make a peat toilet you will need the following:
- Waterproof tank of quite large volume (15-20 liters);
- Dry peat, sawdust or straw;
- Superphosphate.
It is superphosphate that will help get rid of stench and insects, and will also allow you to maintain a high concentration of nitrogen in the fertilizer. The tank is placed in a hole and peat or sawdust is sprinkled on the bottom. As you use the toilet, you need to add peat. It is important to prevent rain and snow from getting inside the tank. As the tank fills, it is emptied. This is easy to do with a reclining seat.
But even in this form, feces cannot be used as fertilizer. They still have to go through the process of fermentation and disinfection. This is best achieved in a compost bin.
Preparation and use of composts
To prepare a compost pit, the following is required.
Recycling human waste has occupied scientists around the world for decades. A global solution to the problem is being sought. Many summer residents are also looking for a solution to the toilet problem on the scale of one summer cottage. A free base for fertilizer based on feces or so-called “human manure” is prepared along with the usual compost heap. The use of manure, including human manure, is quite widespread. This method has a lot of adherents and just as many opponents.
What is waste
The idea of using valuable, and most importantly, free raw materials as fertilizer for their own garden is visited by many summer residents. But the idea is not new and has been known since the times of Ancient Greece. In Russia, feces are known as “night gold”, in England “night fertilizer”. In Japan, a similar source of fertilizer was even bought and sold.
The mixture of human waste is considered a valuable and effective organic fertilizer. Every year an adult produces an average of about 0.5 tons of waste. 2/3 of human waste consists of the remains of digested and undigested food. In cesspools and ordinary country toilets, the mass contains nitrogen (0.5–0.8%), phosphorus (0.3–0.5%), and potassium (0.2–0.4%).
The dangers of using fecal matter
Using human feces in its pure form is unacceptable for many reasons. Firstly, this is the usual disgust and the fetid smell of the garden, which will not disappear for a long time.
Thirdly, negative changes in the physical and chemical structure of the soil. In addition to beneficial compounds for plants, feces contain large amounts of chlorine and sodium, and traces of heavy metals. The soil is exposed to solarization, creating a highly alkaline environment, which is detrimental to many plants.
Compost toilet for a summer cottage
You can purchase a dry toilet with composting capabilities or make your own. A composting toilet is practically no different from other types of dry toilet, it is safe to use, and does not require electricity to operate. Such models have a number of advantages:
- Adding peat or sawdust creates a dry environment without fermentation.
- No unpleasant odor
- There is no pipe for ventilation and the drainage hose does not attract insects
- A tank of sufficiently large volume is emptied once a year
- The filler promotes the processing of mass into compost
You can make a composting toilet at your dacha using simple, affordable building materials. The main components for construction: a plank base, a plastic or wooden body, a removable seat. Materials for production:
- Drawing or sketch of the structure
- Wooden parts and blanks according to sketch dimensions
- 4 identical plastic containers with lids
- Locksmith tool kit
- Filler (sawdust or peat)
- Peat container, scoop or shovel
The prepared parts are connected according to the sketch using nails, screws and glue. The filler is placed in the base container and changed after each use.
Traditionally, farmers all over the world use compost pits and heaps to re-rot manure. Feces-based raw materials are no exception. Cold preparation of compost is unacceptable in this case. To obtain a safe fertilizer, high temperatures inside the compost heap are required.
Raw materials for preparing fertilizers are laid as regular compost. Alternate plant waste, manure and peat, you can add garden soil. The hot cooking method requires the use of special preparations that accelerate the onset of “burning” (Baikal M1, Tamir, Urgasa, etc.).
Despite the presence of EM preparations, such fertilizer takes a long time to prepare, up to 1.5 years.
Should I use fecal based fertilizer?
Modern technologies for waste processing and fertilizer production are constantly evolving. In the USA, Britain, and Japan, this industry is quite extensive. Phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers, vermicomposts and complex fertilizers, such as Milogranite, are produced from feces and manure. Industrial processing includes heat treatment, disinfection and other manipulations.
The resulting fertilizer is used to fertilize stadium fields, golf greens and other landscaping work. Not used for gardening and growing crops.
It is definitely not possible to use fresh manure based on feces.
All types of manure can lead to burns of the root system of plants and death of plantings.
Fresh material is also unsuitable for preparing tinctures and solutions. A breeding ground for microbes and bacteria will create a fermented solution that is unsuitable for use.
It’s easy to decide whether to fertilize your own garden with manure or compost made from human waste. Safety for human health must come first. Providing optimal conditions for processing such specific raw materials is not an easy task. Heavy metals and concentrated salts accumulate in vegetables and root crops. You can only use those types of fertilizers that you are 100% sure of.
It constantly evaporates into the atmosphere, so it is important for gardeners to regularly replenish the nitrogen deficiency in their garden plot for a good harvest. Organic fertilizers - guano, manure - can be a source of nitrogen, but their acquisition requires material costs.
Fecal contents
There is another, unusually close and accessible source of raw materials for the production of nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers - the country toilet. The question of disposing of its contents in compliance with sanitary and environmental standards regularly arises. Mastering the technology of using feces to fertilize the site allows us to solve these problems. The contents of the country toilet are also rich in organic substances, which allows raw materials such as feces to be used for the production of fertilizers.
Many gardeners and gardeners, regardless of the crop they grow, prefer organic fertilizers that can be obtained from waste or. Among them: manure, rabbit droppings, compost, peat, bone meal, sawdust, feces.
Human feces and urine contain on average:
Can it be used in its pure form?
The contents of cesspools are used extremely rarely in their “pristine” form. There are a number of reasons for this:
- This method is not hygienic and is not recommended for garden crops and.
- Possible contamination of soil and groundwater.
- Salting and alkalization of the soil, increasing the chlorine content.
- The bulk of the nitrogen is lost.
- The method is quite labor-intensive.
Important! The contents of the cesspool may contain worm eggs that are resistant to low temperatures and dehydration. Once in the soil, these pathogenic organisms can end up in the fruits that grow on it. If you eat such fruits without heat treatment, you can become seriously ill.
When using fecal matter, like any fertilizer, certain safety rules must be followed.
Some experts allow the use of feces in its pure form as fertilizer for and. 
In the fall, when cleaning cesspools, when the harvest is harvested, a trench 0.5 m deep is dug next to the plants, the length is as necessary. The contents of the cesspool are poured into the trench, which is generously covered with earth taken from the trench. Compacted.
Other sources suggest digging the contents of the toilet 1-2 times a week to a depth of 30-40 cm in different parts of the garden. The main thing is not to repeat yourself, and apply fertilizers sequentially, in different places, maintaining an interval of several months. In addition to regularly cleaning, a bonus will be that moles and voles are afraid of the smell of feces and will leave the garden.
Feces cannot be used to prepare solutions and infusions for feeding.
Did you know? The Polabian Slavs used the method of composting organic waste in pits to enrich the soil.–Venda in the X-XII centuries.
Fertilizing the garden
There are more effective, aesthetic and safe ways to make fertilizer from human feces (at home).
Peat toilet
An alternative to allowing feces to accumulate in a cesspool where it becomes a breeding ground for flies and unpleasant odors is. 
For its device you will need:
- A tank or box of sufficient volume (15-20 liters) that does not allow water to pass through.
- Dry peat, straw waste or wood - the lowest grade material is suitable.
- – adding it to the tank, in minimal doses, will completely get rid of the smell and flies, and maintain the nitrogen concentration.
For convenient removal of the tank with its contents, the toilet seat is made folding. You can buy a ready-made toilet of a suitable design. Superphosphate is added to the tank in small doses - 2-3 kg per 100 liters of feces.
Choose a round or square platform on which to pour:
- layer of peat or sawdust 30-40 cm;
- wood ash (from the stove, fireplace or barbecue).
A depression is made in the center into which the contents of the toilet tank are laid out 20-30 cm thick, alternating them with layers of peat or sawdust. Peat humidity should not be higher than 60%. A layer of peat or sawdust, 20 cm thick, is poured on top. The contents of the heap, without compacting, are covered with polyethylene to prevent precipitation. The maximum height of the heap is 1-1.5 m. 
A temperature high enough for disinfection is maintained in the center of the heap, so fertilizer is taken from there to add fertilizer to the soil, and the mass at the edges of the heap is moved to the center the next time it is laid.
To speed up the fermentation process, biologically active preparations can be added to the compost when laying it. The compost ripening time with this method of laying is 2-3 months; for safety it is doubled.
Adding soil to such piles reduces the temperature and worsens the result; it does not ripen. Worm eggs die in a compost heap with soil after a year and a half.
Did you know? You can add a few regular tin cans to your compost pile. During the oxidation of iron, additional heat is released, and the mixture is enriched with iron compounds.
What crops should I apply compost to?
The use of compost is determined by the following criteria:
- Safety and sanitary standards.
- Soil quality.
From a health safety perspective, more careful gardeners
When growing garden crops, summer residents are increasingly choosing organic matter for feeding. These substances include human feces. This is an affordable, effective type of natural fertilizer that, when used correctly, significantly increases productivity.
Feces are a fertilizer that has been valued since ancient Greece. They know about this type of feeding even in artsy England and pedantic Japan.
In America, the fertilizer in question is used mainly for landscape plantings, golf courses, and hedges.
70% of excrement consists of food waste in digested and undigested form. They contain useful microelements such as nitrogen (1.3%), phosphorus and potassium (0.3% each). The human body produces half a ton of fecal matter and urine every year. Using them as a free fertilizer, you can significantly increase the fertility of the soil and saturate it with nutrients.
Unprocessed feces cannot be used as fertilizer.
The dangers of using fecal matter
Fertilizer made from human waste is effective only if it is properly prepared for use.
Another reason why it is strictly not recommended to fertilize the soil with feces is their detrimental effect on the soil and its structure. In its pure form, feces contain sodium, chlorine, concentrated salts, and heavy metals that have a detrimental effect on plants and alkalize the soil. Crops die in such an environment, and the fertile layer becomes unusable.
The root system of plantings suffers from such fertilizer due to burns. When using unprocessed human manure in the garden, there is a high chance of contracting an intestinal infection when preparing fruits grown on it. Vegetables that have not undergone heat treatment are dangerous to humans.
Roundworms
They enter the human body along with dirty vegetables, fruits, and berries, so they are more often found in people who like to eat unwashed fruits, straight from a tree or garden bed. Ascaris eggs, while in the body, hatch and penetrate the capillaries. Moving in the bloodstream, the larva increases in size. Once in the stomach, it grows into a full-fledged worm within a month and can be released along with the feces. Capsular eggs remain in the human blood.
You can subjectively determine the possible presence of Giardia by your taste for sweets.
When a person becomes infected with such pathogenic organisms, he suffers from allergies, gastritis, biliary diseases, becomes irritable, has dysbacteriosis and high cholesterol.
Precautionary measures
- Before eating, wash carrots and other root vegetables, brush, trim (like potatoes), and pour boiling water over them;
- After washing, keep berries, vegetables and fruits in a solution with the addition of salt and vinegar.
How to process feces into fertilizer?
To prepare fecal fertilizer you need:
- In the autumn, after the final harvest, dig a long, shallow ditch about half a meter deep.
- When cleaning a toilet or cesspool, pour its contents into the trench.
- Pour soil on top to the level of the main surface, compact it thoroughly.
Another way to prepare organic fertilizer from feces involves pouring feces into different parts of the garden several times a week. It is prohibited to bring the substance into the same place. After application, it is necessary to dig up the area to a depth of at least 30-40 cm.
Moles and mice do not like the smell of feces and leave such fields.
Compost toilet for a summer cottage
The structure is available for purchase, but can also be constructed independently. It is a dry closet. It does not run on electricity, which helps save money. The contents of the device are not dangerous to humans and the environment. Using a composting toilet in your dacha is practical and comfortable. It has many advantages:
- A dry environment is created. Thanks to peat and sawdust, fermentation does not occur.
- There is no foul odor.
- It does not have a ventilation pipe, so flies and other insects do not flock to the drainage hose.
- Frequent cleaning of the tank is not required due to its large size. It is enough to clean it once a year.
- Possibility of conversion into compost using a special filler.
To make a composting toilet yourself, you will need a base made of boards, a plastic or wooden body with a capacity of 15-20 liters, and a removable seat. This is done to make it easier to empty the container. Additionally, you need a design drawing, pre-prepared blanks of exact dimensions, four plastic containers with a lid, tools for work, filler: sawdust or wood shavings, peat. Superphosphate is added to neutralize odor and repel flies. Its minimal dosage will also help maintain nitrogen content. The substance is added in an amount of 2-3 kg per 100 liters of feces.
The structure must be assembled according to the drawing, connecting the prepared parts together using nails, a glue gun, glue and other connecting material. Pour about 20 cm of sawdust into the base container, which requires replacement each time after use or sprinkling a layer of filler on top.
Do not allow snow or rain to get into the dry closet.
There are rules for using human feces to fertilize your garden plot:
- Use in pure, unprocessed form is not allowed;
- oversaturation with fecal fertilizer is fraught with an excess of microelements, which does not always have a positive effect on the development of crops, as well as soil salinity and burning of roots;
- You cannot use waste from general city sewerage: it is too heavy a substance that can burn all plantings due to the high concentration of salts.
Whether or not to use human feces as fertilizer is up to each gardener to decide for himself. This effective fertilizing, when used correctly, helps increase productivity and saturate the soil with necessary substances.
