eli5: Why is fecal matter so nutritious for plants if it’s considered “body waste”?

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Since poop is the solid waste that the majority of organisms produce, how is it so packed with nutrients that plants like?

In: Biology

17 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Poop is waste not because its substance has no value, but because it’s all the stuff the body has no use for extras of.

Plant mass is made out of like 98% water and carbon dioxide from the air. They need very little in terms of everything else, which is how you can grow multiple huge plants in a row from a single small pot without really using up the soil that much.

What they do need are basic elements and simple chemical compounds, which they get from bacteria breaking anything organic down.

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