spacebomb
- Posts
- 1,370
- Reactions
- 969
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2013
- Points
- 113
my spelling in places is bad.due to using a tiny keypad on a phone.im sorry to people.
Just plain water should be fine, but warm or hot tends to clean a bit better. Please remember, my experience with carbon used for filtration is only with aquatics, not air filtration. I couldn't think of a way to reuse the old canisters/containers themselves, no experience with that.
The thing is this isn't high tech, it's incredibly old technology, the knowledge of which had been lost to humans until archaeologists kept digging up this incredibly rich, productive earth.
If you're using a 50L sack of soil, then use 5L of carbon, that's 10% (I hope! not so good with math).
I want to hear form farmers who know how to re-vitalize carbon from filters. My filters cost $60 and most of that cost is in forming a nice stainless steal case that simply needs fresh carbon or re-freshed carbon. I have read that heating in a co2 environment will work, but I feel the need for more direction before taking a stab at it. I have also been unsuccessful in finding a source of new activated charcoal.I say reuse those old filters, especially if they're not doing anything for you anymore.
I want to hear form farmers who know how to re-vitalize carbon from filters. My filters cost $60 and most of that cost is in forming a nice stainless steal case that simply needs fresh carbon or re-freshed carbon. I have read that heating in a co2 environment will work, but I feel the need for more direction before taking a stab at it. I have also been unsuccessful in finding a source of new activated charcoal.
On the subject of 'new world' archaeology finding evidence of extensive charcoal use in pre-contact agriculture in South America. Might it have been used as a soil extender? Next in line after limited water may well have been availability of arable soil. The ability to create soil with charcoal may have been a valuable tool in an extensive food production technology.
Oh, it absolutely was, and that's the thing that got so many peoples' attention--other than what was reported in the Spanish texts it was assumed that the region really couldn't support a very large human population because these jungle soils are known to be very nutrient-poor. It was during a dig that the terra preta was discovered, and it had already been observed that these areas of dark earth were much more productive as compared to the red, heavy clay earth in surrounding areas. It's *still* being farmed, and productively.I want to hear form farmers who know how to re-vitalize carbon from filters. My filters cost $60 and most of that cost is in forming a nice stainless steal case that simply needs fresh carbon or re-freshed carbon. I have read that heating in a co2 environment will work, but I feel the need for more direction before taking a stab at it. I have also been unsuccessful in finding a source of new activated charcoal.
On the subject of 'new world' archaeology finding evidence of extensive charcoal use in pre-contact agriculture in South America. Might it have been used as a soil extender? Next in line after limited water may well have been availability of arable soil. The ability to create soil with charcoal may have been a valuable tool in an extensive food production technology.
Soil blocking is another planting method for food production growers. You HAVE to get the mix right or it won't stay in a block. Pain in the ass, I never explored it farther.
A little goes a looooooonng way with biochar. I've done some beds outdoors, but need to figure out a better way to get it done because for me it was time-intensive, too time-intensive, to get a small amount. I used rice hulls in an open-air method, creating a small fire and then burying it, and keeping the vent holes buried as soon as they come up. The goal is to get the hulls or other material charred, but not burned to ash, ya dig? Think: carbon.
So, for my soil beds less than an inch of char would be plenty. For indoor growing, I would make a mix with about 10% char at most. You can substitute a few things for making your own char, like activated carbon, but that could get expensive. The goal is to create a home for microbes that is also chemically active and 'locks' onto nutrients.
thanks sea.u allways really helpfull:-)ta man.They don't live 'on' the carbon; i.e. consume it for food, they live in it. They'll also utilize what it 'locks' onto, chemically-speaking. I don't think you even have to rinse your carbon, but I could be wrong. If you just make sure that the soil is as good as it would have been without the carbon, then just add the carbon, the microbes will do just fine, though they may colonize a bit faster.
I second the sunshineyoud be better off just getn Sunshine Advanced.
Am looking into switching from perlite to rice hulls for soil aeration. Any ideas on sourcing rice hulls and what I should look for?
Just plain water should be fine, but warm or hot tends to clean a bit better. Please remember, my experience with carbon used for filtration is only with aquatics, not air filtration. I couldn't think of a way to reuse the old canisters/containers themselves, no experience with that.
The thing is this isn't high tech, it's incredibly old technology, the knowledge of which had been lost to humans until archaeologists kept digging up this incredibly rich, productive earth.
If you're using a 50L sack of soil, then use 5L of carbon, that's 10% (I hope! not so good with math).
Like urbanfog, I get mine at the local feed store WHEN they have them. Otherwise, I hook up the trailer and head down into the central valley to one of the sources. Relatively easy if you're in California or another rice-producing state. Otherwise, think: nut hulls. For example, I would think that walnut or pecan or even peanut shells/hulls might provide some loosening of the mix, depending on their size. All are hard, so they must be high in lignin, possibly Si like rice hulls are.Am looking into switching from perlite to rice hulls for soil aeration. Any ideas on sourcing rice hulls and what I should look for?
WTH? You're not that lady who bought EVERY sack of rice hulls in the area last year, for her pool, are you? Man...!! That fucked up my biochar shit!I get mine at the local feed store, dirt cheap stuff like $7 for4.5 cf compressed. Also a lot of folks use rice hulls under their pools instead of sand. (nice and soft on the feet)
Organic matter that decomposes very slowly. My experience with rice hulls outside says they take at least 3 years to break down. Of course, that could be very different in a more humid area, taking a year or maybe even less, or taking 5 years in a place like, say, Colorado at elevation. But the idea is to NOT use something that must be mined and treated before use (for me), to use something that's sustainable and renewable, and agricultural waste is perfect in many respects.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?