Thread: biochar
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Old 03-24-2009, 05:45 PM   #4 (permalink)
Michael_Andrew
 
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Default Re: biochar

I looked into biochar and like the idea and I have added the remnants of my wood burner to my potting soil. It's my understanding that its not exactly charcoal. You have to burn it with a lack of oxygen and produce a charcoal that has residue with it. Its kinda of gummy. There's stuff in that gummy substance that spose to help. Of course I think that maybe charcoal wouldn't hurt either. You can make it by putting the wood (other cellulose? can be used also) in a pot with a lid and cooking it. It will put off gasses that will flame up. What you have left in the pot is the gummy biochar. The charcoal also will absorb co2 that helps with greenhouse gasses. I found the same as Joe said that it may not give a big effect the first year but subsequent years it just improves the soil and gets better.

Michael
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