What is significance of urine in orchids?

Answer 1

In pot/mount/bark/moss culture the significance is on a parallel with salts, so toxic. Growers opt for non urea nitrogen feeds as urea (the reason a cat likes to lick our skin) is a waste product but part of natural decomp process in the nitrogen cycle. Urea to ammonia to nitrite to nitrate to nitrogen. Bacteria perform this act of kindness for us. A potted plant will sustain very little in terms of a mini ecosystem and so useless but dangerous. Orchid cannot absorb urea they have to wait, but by the time cycle is complete is washed out of pot anyway. Non urea non urine but the end result of cycle - nitrogen is available for plant quicker almost immediately as the work of organisms has been done prior. Nitrates are the reason for excessive growth in aqua and excessine algae in ponds, a very rich nutrient but ofcouse in a large working eco sytem plants in the majority use it but higher doses in small water bodies decide the fate of your tropical fishes. An established tank will have healthy populations of good bacteria in gravel bed and filter. Nitrites, ammonia urea are toxic in concentrated dose.

Would or could be considered a useful tool for organic gardners as a bucket full of urine thrown on a compost heap puts the whole compost process in to a advantaged status.

Orchids especially epiphytes need nitrogen and bark chips contain zero use for the plant except stability ofcourse and the air circulation factor.

In a larger organic natural setting such as growers in tropical climates with backgardens that would make me drool, the situation only then begins to have an element of significance as mounted orchids will have a living tree and not an inch squared bark/ sphag mount. Debris will collect in pockets and crevices as nature intended. Basically urine would be a significant useful horticultural tool because matured established organic environments provide room for so much biological activity. The waste product urine - urea- ammonia of the nitrogen cycle would have less chance of contact and thus physical harm from contact.

Of course in any setting a man has the advantage of using secluded trees and hedges as cover while he disposes of his bodies waste product and in this current day and age as human livers and kidneys suffer abuse no -one can be sure of the scale of additional toxic substances still present, kidney and liver organs decline in functionality and the bladder has zero tolerance for inflicted damage and cant store waste fluid waiting for kidney to complete its task in total. Beer is said to be a health property for orchid cultivation.

While two plants of same factors grow in two selected spots of the garden, urine will enter the bio process of decay determined by circumstances and one spot differs to another with many variables.