Human Hair as Fertilizer? HELP!

[Dex902]

LONG STORY SHORT; I am doing a project in my Grade 11 Biology class and need to know how much hair I should use per plant. Also, my teacher recommended I use meat tenderizer to speed up the decomposition process. How should I go about this all?!

-Thanks, Dexter.

[annalovesyou]

You should ask your teacher to see how much hair you should use per plant. He/She is the one who told you to conduct the experiment.

[ashgray2]

You have a great idea on making hair as a fertilizer. Maybe you can gather some hair in a near by barber shop so that you can finish your research. By the way if your research is successful let us know on how to make hair as a plant fertilizer.

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[AstusAleator]

while I'm not familiar with the ingredients of meat tenderizer - it's probably acidic.

I realize you're probably wanting to conduct this relatively quickly - but I'd recommend composting. Take your human hair (get lots of it), mix it with simple carbohydrates (something like sugar - that contains no Nitrogen or Phosphorous), inoculate with a composting mix (obtainable at a gardening store), and let sit for a few weeks to a month.

For best effect, I'd recommend keeping your composting mix in the dark, and add water when necessary to keep it damp. Again, you'll need a lot to really get a good batch of composte.

[mith]

hair takes a long time to decompose...why not burn it and use the ashes?

[AstusAleator]

Hmm it'd have to be a low-intensity smolder to prevent the N and P from volatilizing - but that's not a bad idea.

[kingkiyo]

I'm agree with mith, why dont u try two experiment about this also?
anyway, i know it might take more time.
my grand use to say that hair can make plant growth as well. i just wanna know too. if u got the result, pls let me know also.
but in my opinion, i think hair is hard to decomposition really. maybe can try to find a good solvent also

let see ur reslut

[jwalin]

you cannot use burnt hair.
mostof the nutrients would be burnt out. there would be very less of organic stuff left as i think of it.

[JackBean]

Ah, hair can stay in soil for very, very, very really very long time :-/

But the composting could help. Just one advice - if will you do it in long time or several times, do not use new bacteria everytime, instead keep something little from before, because the hair are really not easy to decompose, so you will enrich bacteria able to do that and also they will learn how to do that efficiently in some longer time