crimsonecho
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Okay cool - this is good to know! Now that I am reading more about this I am curious if "charging" biochar might make the soil too hot if done incorrectly. http://www.dc.delinat-institut.org/doc/english/biochar-activation.pdf see the underlined portion
C. Biochar with liquid fertilizers fertilizers
1. Calculate the amount of fertilizer you need for a given area. Mixing with biochar reduces leaching and outgassing of nutrients, so that fertilizer efficiency increases significantly and a total of only half of the conventionally calculated amount is required.
2. Make sure that the fertilizer contains not only the main elements, N, P, K, Mg, but has a very high mineral diversity. In case of doubt, add some rock flour.
3. Dissolve the calculated amount of mineral fertilizer in sufficient water.
4. Give as much biochar in a period of 2 days to allow complete absorption of the added liquid.
Organic liquid fertilizer is preferably used for charging instead of NPK fertilizer. Liquid animal manure is an excellent example to use for charging biochar.
Variant C is not about microbial colonization. In this case this will take place in the soil. In organic farming, mineral fertilizer trade is prohibited.
I can’t talk about ionic fertilizers but what you end up with are time release organic fertilizer. You should charge it and add it while considering the balance of course. Adding anything in copious amounts would throw the balance off or make the soil too hot. This char and the nutrients it holds will not be as readily available as free ions or anything but it’ll slowly feed your plant. Well not slowly, but not too fast either :)
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