Results - Watering Experiment

Watering experiment results

Remember the watering experiment I told you about way back when? It started one morning in the winter when I noticed the puddle of urine I had left to absorb into the ground overnight. I decided to test the viability and absorption rate of some weeds in the olive grove behind our building. Weeks passed but nothing happened to the shriveled foliage – I think it was too far gone. So I moved onto a bigger clump of weeds near the first location. Those were also dry, but I figured since their root system was bigger, and it looked like they contained a bit of green, the weeds might actually spring to life. Not at all. Weeks passed and my 2nd clump remained unyielding stubborn – it wouldn’t grow.

So, I moved to an even bigger clump of live weeds. Surely these would benefit from my tender bi-hourly application of personal liquid ambrosia. I purposefully picked a mid-sized clump which was partially green. Don’t know how they were alive while the others were not, but they were so I concentrated all my efforts on them. No such luck. The desiccated weeds refused to grow in spite of all attempts at rejuvenation. Woody even helped occasionally water the same green clump. I anticipated rapid growth or at least a change in color from bone dry brown to lush green. The weather had changed since I started the experiment and the days were very warm. Well, I got a change, but it wasn’t what I expected.

Turns out that my urine is a herbicide. Yeah, that green cluster of hearty Afghan weeds turned dark yellow after a couple of weeks of “attention.” Whereas I thought my liquid ambrosia would bring the plant to its full potential – instead it had the opposite effect. My pee killed a plant. I was disappointed and elated – disappointed because the experiment produced unanticipated results, but elated because I discovered I won’t need to invest in expensive lawn treatments after I purchase a house. I can pee on the weeds in the yard instead of using something from Lowe’s. Serendipitous indeed.

The Happy P-eR

Afghanistan