Biochar
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S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
I have wood down and cut up in two of my plots that I will be making some out of when I get the chance. I'm not expecting it to be a game changer by any means but the wood is there and I'd like to burn it up so theres really no reason not to make it into char.
Telemark
5 year old buck +
From what I have seen/read on the net, the char is one component, and then you need to add compost to make it biochar. I have a big pile of compost going, to which I will add a big pile of charcoal. I throw everything into that compost bin, including fireplace ash for potassium and animal bones for phosphorus, and I pee on it to add nitrogen. In summer I will add all the lawn clippings, and then in fall it should be good to go.
I've never tried it before, and I don't know anyone who has. But the info I found online is quite compelling.
I've never tried it before, and I don't know anyone who has. But the info I found online is quite compelling.
IkemanTx
5 year old buck +
It looks like most of the supporting evidence shows it makes the biggest difference on depleted or marginal soils.
If you already have good OM and don’t have drastic soil deficiencies, it may not be worth the purchase cost and/or initial nitrogen zap it causes.
It does seem to help the soil retain several nutrients, just make sure that you aren’t already in surplus for them... because it would be a complete waste at that point.
Here is a pretty deep dive from an organic gardener perspective. Notice at the end, the nutrients that held higher percentages in the Biochar samples, and if you have issues retaining them consider Biochar as a soil amendment.
As an example, the soils at my house and the family farm are drastically different. My house is very sandy loam. Almost sugar sand. My lawn leeches NPK exceptionally fast. If I don’t use a slow, time release fert it is gone in the next rain. I am heavily considering applying a cubic yard of charges Biochar to aid in water and nutrient retention.
The family farm is black silty clay. With proper rains, you could plant nails and harvest crowbars. I have no need for Biochar there. What I need is organic matter to improve tilth and aid water infiltration.
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If you already have good OM and don’t have drastic soil deficiencies, it may not be worth the purchase cost and/or initial nitrogen zap it causes.
It does seem to help the soil retain several nutrients, just make sure that you aren’t already in surplus for them... because it would be a complete waste at that point.
Here is a pretty deep dive from an organic gardener perspective. Notice at the end, the nutrients that held higher percentages in the Biochar samples, and if you have issues retaining them consider Biochar as a soil amendment.
As an example, the soils at my house and the family farm are drastically different. My house is very sandy loam. Almost sugar sand. My lawn leeches NPK exceptionally fast. If I don’t use a slow, time release fert it is gone in the next rain. I am heavily considering applying a cubic yard of charges Biochar to aid in water and nutrient retention.
The family farm is black silty clay. With proper rains, you could plant nails and harvest crowbars. I have no need for Biochar there. What I need is organic matter to improve tilth and aid water infiltration.
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sagittarius
5 year old buck +
This was a huge topic a couple years ago. As I recall, the biggest benefit was in the tropics where the ground never freezes. The porous char acted like a year round supply of bio nutruients, that normally would decompose too quickly in a tropical environment. That said, when I do any tree trimming or removal, I will locate the brush pile in the nearest foodplot to be tilled/planted the next spring. The bush pile gets burned in the winter, the charcoal and ashes may be spread around a bit. At planting time the plot is shallow tilled/disked, mixing in the charcoal and ashes into the soil.
I got on the biochar bandwagon a couple of years ago finding it fascinating . The story of its origins in the Amazon are amazing. I built a kiln and made several batches experimenting. Its easy to make and inoculate. I even considered buying a commercial kiln to create a business for the local ag. The problem with biochar is transportation as it takes large amounts to make a difference creating a challenge of scale for commercial ag.or even a small scale food plotter. After a while my short attention span won out and now I simply buy by the bag for my garden . I've seen the video posted but I'm not afraid of any snake oil that 'might' make my garden better than my neighbors:).
As an interesting aside, there is a company moving to my town that will make biochar on a commercial scale as a by product of making jet fuel from timber wastes. They are smarter than me. The attraction to our area is a huge timber industry along with river transport. Obviously the biochar is a fringe benefit of jet fuel which is where the money is. Companies name is Cool Planet I think
As an interesting aside, there is a company moving to my town that will make biochar on a commercial scale as a by product of making jet fuel from timber wastes. They are smarter than me. The attraction to our area is a huge timber industry along with river transport. Obviously the biochar is a fringe benefit of jet fuel which is where the money is. Companies name is Cool Planet I think
Telemark
5 year old buck +
Where I live now, the soil is terrible. We are on granite and gneiss bedrock, with very acidic soil that contains a lot of peat. If you leave the soil alone, it grows moss, blueberries and sedges. However, we are on the coast, so the soil rarely freezes. There are brush piles all over the place, so I figured I would burn some up and give the biochar a try. If it works, it could be a source of revenue. People are very resistant to change here, but once something catches on, everyone wants it, so if I see real results, then maybe I can make something of it some day.
35 gl. drum inside a 50 gl drum. The 35 gl drum had holes pierced around bottom best I remember with top sealed. Fill it with wood cutoffs from furniture mfg. Then surround the outside of the 35 gl drum with wood that is burned. The 55 gl drum was sealed with vent stack coming out top. Once the wood inside the 55 gl drum [ outside the 35 gl drum ] got burning it was like a jet engine creating a lot of energy. As I recall that was a side benefit of the process on a larger scale as it created usable energy. Let it burn for a few hours then you have very nice char inside the 35 gl drum. I would then run it thru my wood chipper. Bit messy but breaks down nicely. I'll see if I can dig up old pic. Lots of youtube video's on subject.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
Did your wood fully char? I saw some guys werent getting the best char. This is my plan. no special equipment just some matches and a shovel. Maybe not the most efficient but.....
I'm planning on the trench way but....
I'm planning on the trench way but....
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Telemark
5 year old buck +
That's what I have now. I burned a pile yesterday, and it was a massive PIA. I have a trench dug and filled that I will burn today, but i expect it to take the whole day and be a lotof work. A kiln would be better.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
Where does the work come in? Creating the pile? Light the match and walk away.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
Cover crops pull the minerals out of the soil (or air if a legume) making them available to the following plant. Biochar Is basically a sponge that holds nutrients. It only adds carbon to the soil unless you "charge" it before applying/mixing it with your soil. It isn't the end all fix all but it will make the tilth and water infiltration better as well as help hold nutrients from leaching out of the root zone and increasing the water holding capacity of the soil.
When I'm expanding my food plots I make rabbit brush piles with the fresh cut living wood sections and pile up the dry, dead wood to be burned.
If you just light the match and walk away you are just left with a pile of fine ashes and that doesn't do much good. If you get the fire hot and let it burn down a while you can just scoop some snow on the coals to extinguish the fire and you end up with a layer of what looks a lot like the biochar I've seen. It takes a lot of wood to make enough biochar to cover an area with an inch of the black coals, so it's not too practical for large areas. My soil is pretty sandy, so I figure it can't hurt regardless.
I purchased a couple dump truck loads of compost that I'll be spreading over these same areas and hopefully that will help build up the soil when mixed with the coals.
If you just light the match and walk away you are just left with a pile of fine ashes and that doesn't do much good. If you get the fire hot and let it burn down a while you can just scoop some snow on the coals to extinguish the fire and you end up with a layer of what looks a lot like the biochar I've seen. It takes a lot of wood to make enough biochar to cover an area with an inch of the black coals, so it's not too practical for large areas. My soil is pretty sandy, so I figure it can't hurt regardless.
I purchased a couple dump truck loads of compost that I'll be spreading over these same areas and hopefully that will help build up the soil when mixed with the coals.
Telemark
5 year old buck +
I never walk away from a burning pile of brush. I don't think it's safe. And I have to make sure it stops burning before it turns to ash.
