Slow Pyrolised Carbon In Soil. (terra Preta And Biochar)

[ArcticOrange]

So I have a bulk source of this stuff and I was wondering if anyone else around the farm has used this in their soil or soilless mixes.

This is an industrial byproduct and is vacuum pyrolised, supposedly giving it superior surface area to other biochar products. I have been doing some research on terra preta and have found that homemade char tends to be very high ph where commercial pyolisation is closers to ph nuetral. That being said I am considering using this in my worm beds and a little batch of "supersoil" I've got cooking up and see if I can't replicate some Amazonian no-till methods into containers.

Any one around here using biochar or something like it in containers, beds or outdoors or even compost heaps or worm beds? How have you used it?

 

[Seamaiden]

I was, at my place up north, but nothing as good as that. Raised bed, threw some carbonized chunks of wood into the bed on top of the logs (think: hugelkulture). I never had a chance to really see long term performance, only did it year before last and didn't get to grow this last year.

 

[ArcticOrange]

I was, at my place up north, but nothing as good as that. Raised bed, threw some carbonized chunks of wood into the bed on top of the logs (think: hugelkulture). I never had a chance to really see long term performance, only did it year before last and didn't get to grow this last year.

Thanks for the input @Seamaiden sorry you didn't get to try it again this last summer I have heard that the second and third years are where you really begin to see a difference.

 

[ArcticOrange]

For anyone looking at this and asking what does this do? If we think of soil conditioners like humic and fulvic acid they provide homes for microbes and places for microbes to put nutrient chains if I'm not mistaken. My understanding is that fulvic is like a one bedroom apartment, humid is like the apartment building and a slow pyrolised carbon is like a city block. It adds small amounts of soluble p but will cause a swing in soil nitrogen as a boom in microbes starts to multiply and inhabit it.

 

[ArcticOrange]

Excuse me it should be provides soluble k.

 

[Psychonaut47]

For anyone looking at this and asking what does this do? If we think of soil conditioners like humic and fulvic acid they provide homes for microbes and places for microbes to put nutrient chains if I'm not mistaken. My understanding is that fulvic is like a one bedroom apartment, humid is like the apartment building and a slow pyrolised carbon is like a city block. It adds small amounts of soluble p but will cause a swing in soil nitrogen as a boom in microbes starts to multiply and inhabit it.

so it doesn't come charged with microbeasties? Sounds good so far...

 

[ArcticOrange]

so it doesn't come charged with microbeasties? Sounds good so far...

Nope, it does a fair job attracting them once it's in the soil

 

[Seamaiden]

Thanks for the input @Seamaiden sorry you didn't get to try it again this last summer I have heard that the second and third years are where you really begin to see a difference.

Yeah, same here. Whoever gets that house is gonna get some great gardening space.

For anyone looking at this and asking what does this do? If we think of soil conditioners like humic and fulvic acid they provide homes for microbes and places for microbes to put nutrient chains if I'm not mistaken. My understanding is that fulvic is like a one bedroom apartment, humid is like the apartment building and a slow pyrolised carbon is like a city block. It adds small amounts of soluble p but will cause a swing in soil nitrogen as a boom in microbes starts to multiply and inhabit it.

It's also a chemical filtrant, it adsorbs certain molecules, which can provide homes for those microbes. If you precharge it, then you've kind of set the table in each condominium for them. I used urine and worm casting tea... no, frass tea. I have mealworms, finding good worm castings has been a pain in the ass.