On Jan 15, 7:56*pm, Chuck Banshee wrote:
On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:09:32 -0500, Frank wrote:
This may help a little:
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publi...ion/AG_283.pdf

Nice find!

The paper purports to answer exactly what I'm asking!
* *"The purpose of this fact sheet is to briefly describe urea
* * transformations and to suggest how urea-N may be conserved
* * with proper management in the field."

It says up to 90% of the nitrogen in urea will turn to ammonia gas "if
not protected within a few hours of application".

Since urea - ammonium bicarbonate (within 48 hours) - ammonia gas, they
say the key to keeping the nitrogen is to "put the urea into the soil and
not merely on the soil" within those first 48 hours.

Ah. That's simple! They say you can do this three ways:
1. Water the soil directly after applying the urea
2. Plow the soil after fertilization
3. Inject the urea into the soil

How did you find this? I had googled for hours before posting my question
because I could not find the answer of how to keep the nitrogen IN the
compost!



In my compost pile, I can keep it wet and I can cover it with soil to
keep the nitrogen in the soil!

thanks!

Your closest land grant university might have answers to
further
questions if you have any. List he http://tinyurl.com/3r39ax
The University of Nebraska at Lincoln, for example, has NebGuides.
Link
he http://tinyurl.com/unvrl They deal primarily with
agriculture but there is some information on lawns and
gardens.