I gotta tell your brother I've never taken the time to read so many comments. You just keep on giving in your replies I'm going to follow your steps to the T really appreciate your hard work I know making these videos is not easy. And taking time to make replies. Be blessed I'm going to watch that detailed T making that somebody asked for in your comments
Thanks for the great comments. The interactions are a big part of why I do this. I don't know everything so connecting with people having similar interests is a great resource. I learn a lot from comments, see things from another's perspective can really help. Hope your having a great day my friend!
Great vid. Had to see it after watching your cone on the dirt method of creating the coals. It was long but I appreciate you sharing what could go wrong and your explanations. Gonna subscribe now!!
Thank-you Thomas! Yes, you can keep tea. One thing to note is the nitrogen level drops over time. I tested 6 month tea had no response for nitrogen. The other nutrients were still testing high after 5 to 1 dilution. Use fresh tea for adding nitrogen, and use the aged tea for flowering and fruiting. Hope that helps, stay cool in the heat my friend, have a great day!
It does and If you compost T smells poorly you've done something wrong. That is telling you your tea has gone anaerobic. Sorry but keeping a tea for 6 months is a bad idea
@@halfmoongardens3345Dr. Ingham taught us that both tea and extract have a very limited shelf life… hours, not days. I’m sure you’re aware that tea is a brewing process of pumping air through the liquid for about 24 hours, depending on temperature. Extracts are made in five minutes.
@@Soilfoodwebwarrior some facultative anaerobes are extremely beneficial in spite of their stink. Check out Garden Like a Viking for great videos on this topic. Fortunately, plants don’t have noses so they don’t care about smell. Even Dr. Ingham is starting to acknowledge their role… she had Chris Trump on one of her specials. I’m using fermented fish and plant wastes (in separate barrels) to great effect on my greenhouse starts. About 300 peppers and 500 tomatoes, plus other veg and ornamentals.
@@garthwunsch Yes sir. It is all context. If you are after aerobic micro-organisms to boost soil biology or treat foliage then yes you want to provide some air and sugars to build those colonies. Also if you are after nitrogen the 'tea' should be used fresh. What I am doing is more a liquid fertilizer than a living tea. The liquid I store is pH neutral, low/no nitrogen, high in potassium, and high in phosphorous. I use it for flowering/fruiting plants. South Korean 'Jadam' system is very interesting for advanced 'tea' methods and uses. Thanks for the great comments my friend! Peace
Nice work! thumbs up. home made Biochar is generally not 100% innate (you need temps of 600 degrees celsius & above) so your charging/inoculating times will be less. Plant teas are great & i would also recommend using good quality wood vinegar / liquid smoke this works well for long term use.
Also keep out of direct sun light. microbes do like UV light. i use about 20% inoculated biochar to potting medium. Our Horticulturist uses waste water from his Aquaponics system to inoculate his Biochar for about 48-72 hours depending on the quantity.
Thanks my friend, I'm curious about the vinegar/liquid smoke. Biochar is so useful, I'm always curious what more I can do with it/to it. Have a great day!
@@halfmoongardens3345 Hey Bud, most welcome. Knowledge is always worth sharing 😊. I do concur about the diverse use of Biochar. I am an Architectural & Eco Designer, based in South Africa. My Partners & I have investigated & self-funded pilot projects looking into the merits of Biochar & Biochar based Technologies. We have established: - Biochar’s roles & applications in the Agriculture sector - Biochar’s application in alternate & eco-building materials - Pyrolysis technology developed for South Africa & rural economic development - By-products from the manufacturing of Biochar, such as Wood Vinegar (pyroligneous acid), Bio gas & oils _ I am even using Biochar as kitty litter. The Wood Vinegar in its raw form is super concentrated & needs to be diluted before using. Eg. We process 3 forms of feedstock on our site to make biochar & wood vinegar, one of them is Alien Hard Wood (non-indigenous Hard when processed we get a wood vinegar with a very low ph value st about 3.4. to use directly onto the soil we recommend a dilution ratio of 2ml to 6ml per 1 litre of water (depending on your soils current ph levels. The results are great, as per our urban & commercial farming trials, are showing. We started our trials with chillie plants & ground vegetables (spinach & broccoli) in mid Autumn & by mid winter the chillies were ready to harvest. We have also been spraying a 2ml dilution directly on the leaves to keep those nasty & unwanted pests away. I have been spraying much concentrated solution on our window & door frames at home & this seems to deter ants mozzies & other unwanted critters from invading our home. I hope this helps bud & if you want to more information I am more than happy to share, pop me your email address. Thank you for being pro Biochar. We need more Biochar Advocators such as your self 😊
Biochar is the key, thanks for spreading the word. Check into KNF (Korean Natural Farming - master Chao & Chris Trump UA-cam vids) techniques, you'll be so impressed with the practical and easy knowledge to facilitate amazing soil microbiology. Along with biochar there can be no better soil and beneficial microbial life in your soil. I collected 45 big brown leaf bags roadside this past Fall, shredded it in a garbage can with a weed whacker and it's breaking down for leaf mold. That cold fungal compost along with my hot compost for a tea, and the KNF indigenous micro organisms grown from leaf litter and propagated further (IMO) should give me my best garden ever! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and passion, I took a lot with me, appreciate it.
Biochar is the key, I agree. I've spent many years now using it and would never garden without it. Korean natural farming is among my studies as I search to improve my soil web's biodiversity. I like that it is sustainable and organic. It is good you recommend this to people, it is very good information. You are on the right track in my opinion, I'm confident you'll be successful following these practices and using biochar. Very wise. I appreciate your time and kind words. Happy gardening!
Watched your first video, thanks for both! I have been making ACT with aerator and am curious if you use those too, or a simpler way when making tea. If the sun flared and we lost power, how might we make good aerobic compost tea? Wind powered air pump or perhaps a large bucket/water wheel that lifts and pours with good splashing continuously? Also, how much of this product do you mix into your beds? And do you mix it homogeneous, and if so to what depth? Or just put under good soil, and if the latter, how deep in the bed? Can this be used with no-till gardening approaches? Can you apply this around the base of existing bushes/trees? Thanks again, I realize it may be too early to be too specific with respect to some of these Qs. Oh, and I now see you address some of this in your next video
Thanks Jesse! An aerator works great, if you have no power, a stick works. Simply stir vigorously for a few minutes once or more a day. I learned from making wine it takes very little oxygen to set those critters in action. A good stir is more than enough to feed your tea. The biochar gets mixed with my native soil until I see and feel the change in texture. I generally find 3 or 4 shovels of crushed biochar to every 6 or so shovels of soil. Sorry this isn't a clear number like 10%, but it really depends on the soil. Mix thoroughly, as far as depth, min 6 to 8 inches. If using no-till, it is worth disturbing the soil to mix in biochar as it will be a one time addition. All my soil is a biochar mix over huglekulture cores in raised beds. In ground 6 to 8 inches, and add biochar to any compost or mulch you use over the years. For existing trees and shrubs add to compost or mulch around base. You could also a post hole driller to get close around a tree and back fill the holes with biochar. This method is used by orchards and has shown to be successful. I'm happy to help if I can, hope I answered some of what you ask.
Once in your lifetime and well past the next few generations. If you use enough, and you mix it in well, you will never have to add more. Great question my friend!
Is it good to mix different things together. I got some liquid kelp, fish emulsion and worm tea laying around. Would it be smart to use them all to charge the biochar? Got mollasses as well
Yes my friend, throw what organics you have in the mix and don't forget a little water. I prefer to use molasses in the kitchen, lol. You can add molasses if you like, I just don't like recommending anything that costs money. I want to save you money. Yes, everything you say is smart and good charging ingredients for sure. Have a great day my friend!
I add Fish and seaweed compost to my tea this year, I'll bury this into my garden this week, then spring ,will have a nice spring booster for my spring plants
Awesome resources for the garden, yes, I believe you will have a nice spring boost. I already can't wait till spring it is snowing as I write this. Hope you're having a good week my friend!
@@halfmoongardens3345 thank you brother , been a warmer fall out here on the coast of Nova Scotia, cool at nights , the snows around the corner ,I smell it , a busy year on firewood don't like what I hear on Gov created scarcity, but I run my fields by God's words not their lies anymore , hope you get a you're work done safe,and you too have a blessed week
@@daleval2182 the snow has come, now I can't wait for it to leave. I'm filling the pantry while the gov is emptying my pockets. Worst case I eat honey and preserves. Today I'm canning tomato. Good to hear you know who is really in charge. Thank-you my friend, peace
@@daleval2182 your smell was wrong it's 3 months later and we finally got our first worth mentioning snow. with 10 days left in february, your nose been broken a long time i think. since we never had snow until after xmass for the past 7 yrs. and firewood should be easy to get with so many giving wood away for free after the wind storm knocked so many trees down,
I do mine in the fall and let it sit all winter into mid spring. So long as it is above 38F, the microbes will flourish. Wish I knew where to get that 5gal container of sulfur free molasses and how much.
Mine is sitting for the winter now too. I'll be going down to -40C by Jan/Feb, lol. Microbes go dormant and can exist in any condition even space. Not sure the molasses you are looking for, sorry. I don't even feed sugar to my bees, but I know what you are trying to do. Check out JADAM. Hope you are have a great day my friend!
@@halfmoongardens3345 Most if not all bacteria (microbes included) go dormant below 38F. Those that do not, go dormant at zero F. Hence the temperatures to preserve food. If I could afford $250 for 5 gal of molasses, I would buy and use it. While sugar does not have all the goodies in it for microbes, it can still feed and benefit them while they munch on other carbon items. The only place I use sugar is for gardening and that is not a regular thing. Today, I finished cooking some soil for a canvas grow bag. Layered the batches with leaves (mostly Oak, unchopped). On the top I put a couple cups of wood ashes and mixed them in a bit. Then, I heated some rain water to about 120F with Alaska Fish Fertilizer, some sugar, and urine. 1 gal of the mix on each of the 2 bags I have completed so far. 6 more bags to do yet... sigh. Too windy to cook the soil now. No help with sawing the wood either. And running low on the small pieces of wood needed to cook the soil as well. Think taking a brick chimney, placing it on the ground, adding wood to burn, and cooking soil in a large pot. That's how I do mine. Heat the soil to around 204-ish F. Bottom soil much hotter but I don't think that will be a problem. Wanting to kill as many pillbugs, other bugs, their eggs, and any pathogens in the soil. And I found some live pillbugs yesterday too, even after 11F temperatures the other day. Thought about mixing in some biochar but don't think I have enough for 8 grow bags (80L bags too). Note: I did find a couple marble or pea sized potatoes in the soil with roots trying to grow. I moved those to a different planter. Might get lucky lol. Charging biochar in a water bath required a bubbler to do it right. Microbes need oxygen too. I just charge mine with minerals and either molasses or sugar, usually, and bag them while moist. For batches I need right away, I add in urine and a little Epsom salt. 5 years ago I built a Hugelgarden and added in biochar in the top several inches. No difference then and still no difference now. Not sure why. Bach then I cooked mine hot enough to melt aluminum. Or hotter when the stainless steel pot glowed red. Then fractured the batch.
@@crazysquirrel9425 I sterilize potting mix at 160f - 180f for 20 mins. Let sit for a few days to off-gas before use. Sounds like you are very busy my friend. I enjoyed reading everything you are doing. Have a great day!
Hello, thank-you kindly, sorry for the slow response. Best to leave it for a week or three for the micro-organisms to really get going. A few good soaks and you could use it within days if needed. The more stuff starts growing/living in it the better. Depends on climate, season and humidity but I would say you are good to go anywhere after a week. If you are not in a rush the longer it sits and you add moisture the more stuff will inhabit the char. This method of adding tea to charge is what I do when I will be using the char within days. Thank-you my friend, hope you have a wonderful day!
@@halfmoongardens3345 thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge, what works for you, and how you do it. Thanks also for your time and kindness in your detailed reply. I've watched several of your vids already and subbed. You explain things so well. That's such a help. Have a good week friend.
Imagine it's a giant hotel for beneficial bacteria and fungi. So if you're adding compost and what-have-you to the soil there's always new residents moving in. Even just a nature it would charge itself over time cuz the microbes would die new ones would move in it's a cycle of life.
Awesome question my friend, I see someone has already answered with a very good answer. Once plugged into the soil web the biochar will provide fertility indirectly. You have to think different than just adding nutrients, it is adding the environment in which nutrients can be made available. The life in your soil charges it. I only add leaf and grass mulch in the fall. Thanks for the thoughtful question my friend, have a great day!
Rain is good. Unless it is a deluge or washing your pile away I wouldn't worry. It is better to keep it moist than to let it dry out. You can cover it if it gets too much water, but don't worry too much about the odd rain. Mine is covered in snow right now, lol, it will be fine. When working with charcoal it is good to have it moist to reduce dust. Thanks for the great comment. Hope you are having a great day my friend!
I have no experience with this, but in theory it has potential. Whether or not the logistics would be practical, I don't know. Composting toilet system with char? Yeah, I haven't explored the possibilities. Great question, I wish I knew more about such applications, sorry. Thanks my friend, have yourself a great day!
There are several methods. I just dig a cone shaped hole and build a very specific fire. Here is my video showing how I make it very easy for free at home.ua-cam.com/video/bXRosccKtOc/v-deo.html
The best biochar I made was using a vermicompost extract. I gently bubbled some worm poo in a 5 gal bucket using a mesh bag for about 1 hr. Removed the bag & added to biochar in a big tub. Let it sit overnight in a cool dark basement. Added in spent contents of bag. Mixed into soil. This was using real biochar which was pyrolized.
Yes, it can be. Use enough and mix thoroughly till you can see the soil's physical characteristics change before your eyes. I have videos on ratios and soil integration. The only amending I do is mulch in the fall with leaves and grass from mowing. Too easy. Hope this helps. Thank-you for watching. Have a great rest of the week my friend!
Yes, this is how I start to change it into biochar. This is not the only way, nor is it complete after a bit of tea, but this helps speed things up. Have a great day my friend!
I gotta tell your brother I've never taken the time to read so many comments. You just keep on giving in your replies I'm going to follow your steps to the T really appreciate your hard work I know making these videos is not easy. And taking time to make replies. Be blessed I'm going to watch that detailed T making that somebody asked for in your comments
Thanks for the great comments. The interactions are a big part of why I do this. I don't know everything so connecting with people having similar interests is a great resource. I learn a lot from comments, see things from another's perspective can really help. Hope your having a great day my friend!
let's nourish the earth by planting organic plants , God bless you all , greethings from Indonesia 🇮🇩🙏
Hello Indonesia! Yes, let's nourish the earth that it may nourish us. Thank-you for your kind comment, have a great weekend my friend!
Doesn’t burning the wood to make biochar negate the benefits to the earth?
Great vid. Had to see it after watching your cone on the dirt method of creating the coals. It was long but I appreciate you sharing what could go wrong and your explanations. Gonna subscribe now!!
Thank-you for the great comment and support. I always support my friends and I have subscribed to your channel. Hope you have a wonderful day!
So grateful you making this knowledge to people
I'm grateful to those who showed me the value of biochar. I'm happy to share. Thank-you my friend!
Nice job. Thank you for your time. God bless y’all.
Thank-you for taking the time to watch and comment! Have a wonderful day!
I didn’t know that you could keep compost tea. I thought it needed to be used immediately after brewing. This was very helpful. Thank you.
Thank-you Thomas! Yes, you can keep tea. One thing to note is the nitrogen level drops over time. I tested 6 month tea had no response for nitrogen. The other nutrients were still testing high after 5 to 1 dilution. Use fresh tea for adding nitrogen, and use the aged tea for flowering and fruiting. Hope that helps, stay cool in the heat my friend, have a great day!
It does and If you compost T smells poorly you've done something wrong. That is telling you your tea has gone anaerobic. Sorry but keeping a tea for 6 months is a bad idea
@@halfmoongardens3345Dr. Ingham taught us that both tea and extract have a very limited shelf life… hours, not days. I’m sure you’re aware that tea is a brewing process of pumping air through the liquid for about 24 hours, depending on temperature. Extracts are made in five minutes.
@@Soilfoodwebwarrior some facultative anaerobes are extremely beneficial in spite of their stink. Check out Garden Like a Viking for great videos on this topic. Fortunately, plants don’t have noses so they don’t care about smell. Even Dr. Ingham is starting to acknowledge their role… she had Chris Trump on one of her specials. I’m using fermented fish and plant wastes (in separate barrels) to great effect on my greenhouse starts. About 300 peppers and 500 tomatoes, plus other veg and ornamentals.
@@garthwunsch Yes sir. It is all context. If you are after aerobic micro-organisms to boost soil biology or treat foliage then yes you want to provide some air and sugars to build those colonies. Also if you are after nitrogen the 'tea' should be used fresh. What I am doing is more a liquid fertilizer than a living tea. The liquid I store is pH neutral, low/no nitrogen, high in potassium, and high in phosphorous. I use it for flowering/fruiting plants. South Korean 'Jadam' system is very interesting for advanced 'tea' methods and uses. Thanks for the great comments my friend! Peace
Wonderful wisdom!
Nice job buddy very informative I'll give it a shot let is how it goes god bless
Thank-you my friend!
Nice work! thumbs up. home made Biochar is generally not 100% innate (you need temps of 600 degrees celsius & above) so your charging/inoculating times will be less. Plant teas are great & i would also recommend using good quality wood vinegar / liquid smoke this works well for long term use.
Also keep out of direct sun light. microbes do like UV light. i use about 20% inoculated biochar to potting medium. Our Horticulturist uses waste water from his Aquaponics system to inoculate his Biochar for about 48-72 hours depending on the quantity.
Thanks my friend, I'm curious about the vinegar/liquid smoke. Biochar is so useful, I'm always curious what more I can do with it/to it. Have a great day!
@@halfmoongardens3345 Hey Bud, most welcome. Knowledge is always worth sharing 😊. I do concur about the diverse use of Biochar. I am an Architectural & Eco Designer, based in South Africa. My Partners & I have investigated & self-funded pilot projects looking into the merits of Biochar & Biochar based Technologies. We have established:
- Biochar’s roles & applications in the Agriculture sector
- Biochar’s application in alternate & eco-building materials
- Pyrolysis technology developed for South Africa & rural economic development
- By-products from the manufacturing of Biochar, such as Wood Vinegar (pyroligneous acid), Bio gas & oils
_ I am even using Biochar as kitty litter.
The Wood Vinegar in its raw form is super concentrated & needs to be diluted before using. Eg. We process 3 forms of feedstock on our site to make biochar & wood vinegar, one of them is Alien Hard Wood (non-indigenous Hard when processed we get a wood vinegar with a very low ph value st about 3.4. to use directly onto the soil we recommend a dilution ratio of 2ml to 6ml per 1 litre of water (depending on your soils current ph levels. The results are great, as per our urban & commercial farming trials, are showing. We started our trials with chillie plants & ground vegetables (spinach & broccoli) in mid Autumn & by mid winter the chillies were ready to harvest. We have also been spraying a 2ml dilution directly on the leaves to keep those nasty & unwanted pests away. I have been spraying much concentrated solution on our window & door frames at home & this seems to deter ants mozzies & other unwanted critters from invading our home.
I hope this helps bud & if you want to more information I am more than happy to share, pop me your email address.
Thank you for being pro Biochar. We need more Biochar Advocators such as your self 😊
Great Video Thank You 👏👏👏
Thank-you my friend!
Biochar is the key, thanks for spreading the word. Check into KNF (Korean Natural Farming - master Chao & Chris Trump UA-cam vids) techniques, you'll be so impressed with the practical and easy knowledge to facilitate amazing soil microbiology. Along with biochar there can be no better soil and beneficial microbial life in your soil. I collected 45 big brown leaf bags roadside this past Fall, shredded it in a garbage can with a weed whacker and it's breaking down for leaf mold. That cold fungal compost along with my hot compost for a tea, and the KNF indigenous micro organisms grown from leaf litter and propagated further (IMO) should give me my best garden ever! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and passion, I took a lot with me, appreciate it.
Biochar is the key, I agree. I've spent many years now using it and would never garden without it. Korean natural farming is among my studies as I search to improve my soil web's biodiversity. I like that it is sustainable and organic. It is good you recommend this to people, it is very good information. You are on the right track in my opinion, I'm confident you'll be successful following these practices and using biochar. Very wise. I appreciate your time and kind words. Happy gardening!
Watched your first video, thanks for both! I have been making ACT with aerator and am curious if you use those too, or a simpler way when making tea. If the sun flared and we lost power, how might we make good aerobic compost tea? Wind powered air pump or perhaps a large bucket/water wheel that lifts and pours with good splashing continuously? Also, how much of this product do you mix into your beds? And do you mix it homogeneous, and if so to what depth? Or just put under good soil, and if the latter, how deep in the bed? Can this be used with no-till gardening approaches? Can you apply this around the base of existing bushes/trees? Thanks again, I realize it may be too early to be too specific with respect to some of these Qs. Oh, and I now see you address some of this in your next video
Thanks Jesse! An aerator works great, if you have no power, a stick works. Simply stir vigorously for a few minutes once or more a day. I learned from making wine it takes very little oxygen to set those critters in action. A good stir is more than enough to feed your tea. The biochar gets mixed with my native soil until I see and feel the change in texture. I generally find 3 or 4 shovels of crushed biochar to every 6 or so shovels of soil. Sorry this isn't a clear number like 10%, but it really depends on the soil. Mix thoroughly, as far as depth, min 6 to 8 inches. If using no-till, it is worth disturbing the soil to mix in biochar as it will be a one time addition. All my soil is a biochar mix over huglekulture cores in raised beds. In ground 6 to 8 inches, and add biochar to any compost or mulch you use over the years. For existing trees and shrubs add to compost or mulch around base. You could also a post hole driller to get close around a tree and back fill the holes with biochar. This method is used by orchards and has shown to be successful. I'm happy to help if I can, hope I answered some of what you ask.
Love it!
Thank-you my friend!
Thank you! Seriously, thanks.
My friend you are welcome! Thank-you, makes my day to see your comments!
So you only need to add this to your garden once in it's life time or do you add it every year?
Once in your lifetime and well past the next few generations. If you use enough, and you mix it in well, you will never have to add more. Great question my friend!
Is it good to mix different things together. I got some liquid kelp, fish emulsion and worm tea laying around. Would it be smart to use them all to charge the biochar? Got mollasses as well
Yes my friend, throw what organics you have in the mix and don't forget a little water. I prefer to use molasses in the kitchen, lol. You can add molasses if you like, I just don't like recommending anything that costs money. I want to save you money. Yes, everything you say is smart and good charging ingredients for sure. Have a great day my friend!
I add Fish and seaweed compost to my tea this year, I'll bury this into my garden this week, then spring ,will have a nice spring booster for my spring plants
Awesome resources for the garden, yes, I believe you will have a nice spring boost. I already can't wait till spring it is snowing as I write this. Hope you're having a good week my friend!
@@halfmoongardens3345 thank you brother , been a warmer fall out here on the coast of Nova Scotia, cool at nights , the snows around the corner ,I smell it , a busy year on firewood don't like what I hear on Gov created scarcity, but I run my fields by God's words not their lies anymore , hope you get a you're work done safe,and you too have a blessed week
@@daleval2182 the snow has come, now I can't wait for it to leave. I'm filling the pantry while the gov is emptying my pockets. Worst case I eat honey and preserves. Today I'm canning tomato. Good to hear you know who is really in charge. Thank-you my friend, peace
@@daleval2182 your smell was wrong it's 3 months later and we finally got our first worth mentioning snow. with 10 days left in february, your nose been broken a long time i think. since we never had snow until after xmass for the past 7 yrs. and firewood should be easy to get with so many giving wood away for free after the wind storm knocked so many trees down,
I would figure to mix it up after it sits for a day, then repeat the process to get more coverage.
Yes, mixing will help incorporate whatever you add for sure.
Happy New Year my friend!
Great video!!! Great info!!! Thank you sir!!! 🔥🔥🔥👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾😁😁😁
Thank-you very much my friend! Your comment is too kind but very welcome!
I do mine in the fall and let it sit all winter into mid spring.
So long as it is above 38F, the microbes will flourish.
Wish I knew where to get that 5gal container of sulfur free molasses and how much.
Mine is sitting for the winter now too. I'll be going down to -40C by Jan/Feb, lol. Microbes go dormant and can exist in any condition even space.
Not sure the molasses you are looking for, sorry. I don't even feed sugar to my bees, but I know what you are trying to do. Check out JADAM.
Hope you are have a great day my friend!
@@halfmoongardens3345 Most if not all bacteria (microbes included) go dormant below 38F. Those that do not, go dormant at zero F. Hence the temperatures to preserve food.
If I could afford $250 for 5 gal of molasses, I would buy and use it.
While sugar does not have all the goodies in it for microbes, it can still feed and benefit them while they munch on other carbon items.
The only place I use sugar is for gardening and that is not a regular thing.
Today, I finished cooking some soil for a canvas grow bag.
Layered the batches with leaves (mostly Oak, unchopped).
On the top I put a couple cups of wood ashes and mixed them in a bit.
Then, I heated some rain water to about 120F with Alaska Fish Fertilizer, some sugar, and urine.
1 gal of the mix on each of the 2 bags I have completed so far.
6 more bags to do yet... sigh.
Too windy to cook the soil now. No help with sawing the wood either.
And running low on the small pieces of wood needed to cook the soil as well.
Think taking a brick chimney, placing it on the ground, adding wood to burn, and cooking soil in a large pot.
That's how I do mine.
Heat the soil to around 204-ish F.
Bottom soil much hotter but I don't think that will be a problem.
Wanting to kill as many pillbugs, other bugs, their eggs, and any pathogens in the soil.
And I found some live pillbugs yesterday too, even after 11F temperatures the other day.
Thought about mixing in some biochar but don't think I have enough for 8 grow bags (80L bags too).
Note: I did find a couple marble or pea sized potatoes in the soil with roots trying to grow.
I moved those to a different planter. Might get lucky lol.
Charging biochar in a water bath required a bubbler to do it right.
Microbes need oxygen too.
I just charge mine with minerals and either molasses or sugar, usually, and bag them while moist.
For batches I need right away, I add in urine and a little Epsom salt.
5 years ago I built a Hugelgarden and added in biochar in the top several inches.
No difference then and still no difference now.
Not sure why.
Bach then I cooked mine hot enough to melt aluminum. Or hotter when the stainless steel pot glowed red.
Then fractured the batch.
@@crazysquirrel9425 I sterilize potting mix at 160f - 180f for 20 mins. Let sit for a few days to off-gas before use.
Sounds like you are very busy my friend. I enjoyed reading everything you are doing.
Have a great day!
Hi. I like your vids, and low/no cost methods. Did I miss it? How long after adding the compost tea till you use the activated biochar? Thanks.
Hello, thank-you kindly, sorry for the slow response. Best to leave it for a week or three for the micro-organisms to really get going. A few good soaks and you could use it within days if needed. The more stuff starts growing/living in it the better. Depends on climate, season and humidity but I would say you are good to go anywhere after a week. If you are not in a rush the longer it sits and you add moisture the more stuff will inhabit the char. This method of adding tea to charge is what I do when I will be using the char within days.
Thank-you my friend, hope you have a wonderful day!
@@halfmoongardens3345 thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge, what works for you, and how you do it. Thanks also for your time and kindness in your detailed reply. I've watched several of your vids already and subbed. You explain things so well. That's such a help. Have a good week friend.
@@karenbuckner1959 I really appreciate the comments, too kind. Thank-you my friend, have a great day!
How does this self charge with nutrients next season?
Imagine it's a giant hotel for beneficial bacteria and fungi. So if you're adding compost and what-have-you to the soil there's always new residents moving in. Even just a nature it would charge itself over time cuz the microbes would die new ones would move in it's a cycle of life.
Awesome question my friend, I see someone has already answered with a very good answer. Once plugged into the soil web the biochar will provide fertility indirectly. You have to think different than just adding nutrients, it is adding the environment in which nutrients can be made available. The life in your soil charges it. I only add leaf and grass mulch in the fall.
Thanks for the thoughtful question my friend, have a great day!
If charcoal gets rained on and got soaked in water and left is it ruined , or should I dry it out ?
Rain is good. Unless it is a deluge or washing your pile away I wouldn't worry. It is better to keep it moist than to let it dry out. You can cover it if it gets too much water, but don't worry too much about the odd rain. Mine is covered in snow right now, lol, it will be fine.
When working with charcoal it is good to have it moist to reduce dust.
Thanks for the great comment. Hope you are having a great day my friend!
Why not septic tank contents ? Use on tree fruit
I have no experience with this, but in theory it has potential. Whether or not the logistics would be practical, I don't know. Composting toilet system with char? Yeah, I haven't explored the possibilities. Great question, I wish I knew more about such applications, sorry. Thanks my friend, have yourself a great day!
How to ensure we get charcoal not wood ash in the road to biochar
There are several methods. I just dig a cone shaped hole and build a very specific fire. Here is my video showing how I make it very easy for free at home.ua-cam.com/video/bXRosccKtOc/v-deo.html
Great. Thanks 🙏
Can we use Vermicompost tea on Charcoal .. Would that convert into Biochar .. 🤔
Absolutely you can, vermicompost is very nutritious. Yes it will create biochar of good quality. Good luck in your garden my friend, have a great day!
The best biochar I made was using a vermicompost extract. I gently bubbled some worm poo in a 5 gal bucket using a mesh bag for about 1 hr. Removed the bag & added to biochar in a big tub. Let it sit overnight in a cool dark basement. Added in spent contents of bag. Mixed into soil. This was using real biochar which was pyrolized.
If biochar last so long, does that mean it’s a 1 time application?
Yes, it can be. Use enough and mix thoroughly till you can see the soil's physical characteristics change before your eyes. I have videos on ratios and soil integration. The only amending I do is mulch in the fall with leaves and grass from mowing. Too easy. Hope this helps. Thank-you for watching. Have a great rest of the week my friend!
About a week of incubation after inoculation is fine?? Thank you
Yes. You need to be generous with your inoculants, but yes. Thank-you, good question. Have a great day my friend!
@@halfmoongardens3345
Thanks so much for your kind reply. Best wishes
👍 Brasil
Charcoal is not biochar. Charcoal still has impurities, water and other things in. It’s basically ‘pre biochar’.
Yes, this is how I start to change it into biochar. This is not the only way, nor is it complete after a bit of tea, but this helps speed things up. Have a great day my friend!
How big are this dudes hands 🤣😂🤣
Motion picture magic, lol
Too fast! Show how to actually make the tea you have in the bottle.
I will revisit this, and make a more complete video, thank-you for the helpful insight. Have a great day!
hah. u newb
Very constructive criticism. Would love to hear your sage advice.