canesisters
Garden Master
Biochar... ? Burned stuff?
I am inspired and amazed
- Thread starter Gardening with Rabbits
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flowerbug
Garden Master
yes, done in a controlled way to reach a specific temperature range to maximize the surface area of whatever organic material it is. some work better than others. if done right you can also capture, condense and collect the volatile compounds and use that as fuel (check out trucks fueled by wood) but of course you have to be careful you don't start things on fire or explode... it's just a more scientfic method of making charcoal than piling up stuff and covering it with mud/dirt and then lighting it on fire.
for best results once you have char is to mash it up a bit so the pieces aren't too large and then run the stuff through a compost heap or mix it in your worm composting system so that all of that surface area can start to be colonised by bacteria/fungi. in the garden it is a long term source of soil carbon and diversity of species (which should help keep fungi or bacterial diseases under control). charcoal pieces can take thousands of years to be digested. it is a way of increasing soil carbon but also sequestering some carbon.
if you can source it easily/cheaply i think it helps almost any garden soil if used, but you don't want it to be the only thing for plants to grow in. the other thing is that if it is exposed to the elements and blowing around then it is going to have a very negative impact on snow pack/glaciers or soaking up heat from the sun.
canesisters
Garden Master
ok.. so a lot more than just burned stuff. 
flowerbug
Garden Master
ok.. so a lot more than just burned stuff.
like most things the debil is in the deetails...
Collector
Garden Master
There is a sawmill about 25 miles from here that has a wood fired electricity generator. They burn all the wood chips and waste wood in it and sell the power to the local power company. They burn the wood super hot so there is no smoke and the particles are carried away in a pipe called a slurry line. The wood hits the water just a moment before it is just ash which makes the biochar. My brother has the contract to keep the settling ponds cleaned out which is done about once per year. The ponds hold about 50,000 yard of char after the water is drained off. I am wanting to get about 20yds to cover the rest of the garden with. About 1/3 of the garden is already done with char. It does need to be composted to activate the charcoal, but I just put it directly on the garden and till it in. It may take longer to activate this way but I am in no hurry.
valley ranch
Garden Master
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20 yards ??????????? how big is your yard ``` You don't heat with wood ```
baymule
Garden Master
With a source like that, heck, do the yard too!
flowerbug
Garden Master
oh my! i'll be interested to hear what your results are like through the years. you should leave some space alone for comparison plantings. science! fun! all gardening should involve some play.
tilling it in in the fall at least gives you that much time for it to be colonized that you may not notice as much of a nitrogen/nutrient deficit/boost effect as if you were doing it in the spring.
i would be interested in comparison soil temperatures too for any bare areas left exposed.
i don't know why i keep thinking of you in the SE USoA instead of SE WA. i'm not sure of your location relative to the Columbia Basin but this is my friend Bill and his wife's website:
https://columbiabasinpermaculture.com/
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