Biochar soil mix ratio. How much biochar to add to how much soil?
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- Опубліковано 22 сер 2022
- I make the soil mix I use for all my gardening.
I start with the recommended ratio so you may see what that looks like in a practical application.
The 'recipe' for this mix:
1 cubic foot of soil.
12 quarts volume of Biochar.
5 gallon volume of loose compost (cold composted leaf/grass)
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Thank-you my friends! - Навчання та стиль
If you have more biochar try 1 cubic foot and 2 cubic feet of biochar or 3.
As long as you innoculate or charge biochar properly it will be extremely good for growing stuff. I am repeating this for newbies. I made the mistake of not charging my biochar...hehehehehe.
When biochar was not widely known yet I happened to encounter a biochar form from mostly charred paper. It was the most rich "soil" I ever encountered.
My school burned piles of old notebooks. I always noticed the soil there was black and soft. I did not know it was 100% biochar. Everything grew easily from that. This was in Enugu, Anambra State, Nigeria, Africa.
Makes me wish I had a magic door so I could have tons of the stuff! I am now in the Philippines and have to make my own biochar...
Awesome to read your story, thank-you for taking the time! Yes, I am not scared of using excessive amounts.
I use it as fast as I can make it and charge it. I love it!
Thanks for the great comment my friend!
For the sake of discussion: 1 cubic foot = (approx) 30 quarts. You added 12 quarts of biochar or approx. 40% (vs. 5%-10%). Hoping I can find a couple of garbage cans full of charcoal up at our local National Forest burn areas to charge and work into my two 10' x 10' plots this winter.
Just take into account the density of char and soil are very different so hard to equate by volume. I just mix till I see the physical changes and the consistency I want.
Collecting some char from a wildfire burn is interesting. Make some good of it, very cool.
Have a great day my friend!
Actually, there are 25.7 dry quarts per cubic foot. This would be a recipe of approximately one part biochar, two parts soil. Interesting?
You really have stirred up the hornets’ nest; thanks (a new subscriber).
thank you for this clearance. I thought I am insane now :D ... my estimation met the 1 third / 2 third breakdown.
I am using 50:50 mix of biochar with vermicompost this year for my roof top garden.
As I know vermicompost loose the nutrients very very quickly by application of irrigation water.
Well established plants are doing very well with 50:50 biochar with bio-carbon rich old garden soil.
We are watering our plants around late morning with watering hose.
My container retains nutrients for 3 to 4 days when we apply balanced liquid nutrients synthesised from our kitchen and garden wastes.
This year our old garden soil is exhausted so we are trying to apply vermicompost for new containers for vegetable cultivation in my rooftop garden.
We are never charging the biochar by any means.
Biochar absorbs nutrients filled water and gets hydrated as well does keep roots aerated.
The best observation made is pests and diseases have vanished from my garden. And plants are flowering abundantly as well as regularly.
Amazing to read, thank-you for sharing my friend! The biochar will charge over time, if you are using it with rich soil it won't negatively affect anything. Which you have observed. I like to charge mine as I just use my silt/clay loam, biochar, and leaf/grass cold compost (for fungus).
JADAM offers really well studied liquid feed and pest control you can make yourself, as you are.
Yeah, sounds awesome. I like the rooftop garden, every space available, right. I'd love to see it.
Wishing you the very best in the year to come. Happy New Year my friend!
Thanks for this video- a good guide. For those of us that are metrically inclined i did some conversions and came up with a ratio by volume of 3:2:1.2 - being soil : compost : biochar.
Love it. People do like weights and measures, these comments are helpful. thank-you very much my friend!
Delivering the goods!! Thanks dude!!! Awesome.
Thank-you, it was a great question you asked and something I was very confused about when I started out years ago. Have a great day my friend!
Best demonstration and explanation I have seen. NICE. Thank you so much!
You are most welcome. Thank-you for the kind words, hope you are having a great day!
Wow, what a difference! Thank you, very clear and easy to understand for those of us not good at math..
That makes sense to me as I am no good at math either, lol. Thanks for the great comment my friend!
Quite informative. Good job!
Thank-you! Hope you are having a great New Year my friend!
Very clear and and effective explanation of how to make and apply. Thank you for this series!
Thank-you very much my friend. I appreciate your time and comment. Hope you are having a great day!
Excellent treatment of this subject, much useful information, thank you!
Thank-you, my friend!
Just wanted to add a sincere Thank you. Best Ag class I’ve ever had packed with that much experience into half an hour. (the feel is very different, completely improved my fall harvest) started work on the spring prep...excellent
Too kind my friend, but thank-you. Glad to hear you are experiencing success, spring is getting closer.
You made my gardening life real life now thank you so much. It’s awesome brother. Keep it up. Thanks again. Have a super super year.
I can help make your garden healthier. Thank-you for the great comments my friend!
Thank you sir, very help full information.
Thank-you my friend!
Very helpful! Thank you!!
I appreciate that, thank-you my friend!
Great Video Thank You 👏👏👏
I appreciate your time and comments, thank-you my friend! Hope you are having a great day!
Well done 👍👍👍 thanks.
You are most welcome! Thank-you my friend!
Great info video my friend. I'll share this one with some of my family who have gardens like button is smashed for you
Thank-you, I see I have some Metallica to watch, looking forward to turning up the stereo for one of your awesome thrash tones. See you there! Thanks so much for your support, watch for the honey harvest video, yummy.
Oh can't wait for that one honey 🍯
Thanks for doing the homework & the thoughtful presentation. I mix my biochar down the planting row (about 12 in wide) rather the the entire bed as the rhizosphere is fairly tiny. As I dibble, trench, trowl & rake it gets spread around laterally on its own. The concentration is where I need it the most...right in the row.
Thanks for the great comment my friend, sorry I'm slow to respond. I will be expanding to in ground row gardens for annual production, and some rows of berries. Good to know how other people are applying biochar to their rows, very interesting.
Hope you are enjoying a bountiful harvest. Have a great day!
Thanks for the info.
Thank-you my friend!
I use 50:50 ratio of occulated biochar and organic fertilizer and I find it effective for basal application and for potting medium. anything you plant there grows pretty well!
Sounds like you are having success, awesome. Hope you have a great day!
Great video!! This is very helpful for me because I’m making my garden bigger this season and I’m trying to figure out way’s to make top soil into garden soil!
That is exactly what I do, and my soil is hard packed alkaline silt. Biochar will physically improve your soil, any soil. Thank-you very much for the kind comment, best of luck with the garden expansion!
@@halfmoongardens3345 your welcome!! Thank you so much!!
thanks for sharing 😀
Thank-you my friend!
Looks like you ended up with about. 30% biochar by volume, much better than that paltry 10%. Many people should appreciate this video!
I appreciate your comment, thank-you my friend. Yes, as long as it charged there is nothing to be scared of.
Thank you very much for taking the time to film this. That was extremely helpful. (If I hadn't already subcribed, this video surely would have convinced me to!)
Just to make sure - that biochar was charged, then dried, before you put it in the soil, right? It doesn't reduce the effectiveness to let it get dry?
Letting it go dry is not ideal, I just wanted there to be no mistaking the soil change as due to moisture for the video. Try to keep biochar moist, but if it dries out the micro-organisms go dormant, not dead. Just add water before use, and don't work without a mask if it is dry. It will still be effective if it is dry as long as it has been charged. I would normally only work with damp/moist biochar when adding to soil. Only dry for the demonstration, not a good practice, sorry.
Thank-you my friend, hope you are having a great day!
Hello, I just found out about biochar yesterday and after watching you over the last year. I found that I am going to try it out. Being a old firewood guy I think I can manage. When I was watching this video. All I could think was how much Vermiculate or Perlite would I add to potting mix? That's 1/3 and it looks like that's what you added of biochar. It make so much sense to me and it won't break down. Thank you for showing your way. ✌️
Hello, thank-you for the great comment. Yes, biochar made sense to me too. I can tell you with confidence it is beneficial in all applications. You identified how it can replace the function of vermiculite or perlite in potting mix. It certainly can while adding many other benefits. I just used biochar with my seed starting mix. You ever notice how mixes are hydrophobic out of the bag sometimes, water just runs off or straight through? Biochar solves this instantly, no pre-soak or messing around. I just love the stuff, sorry, I get excited when I hear people are going to try it, lol.
Thanks again my friend, have a great day!
Awesome! 👍👍👍
Thank-you my friend!
@@halfmoongardens3345
I’m not allowed to dig in my lot, so container & vertical gardening is my option. Hoping to multiply a tad of native biology from leaf mold & a cup or so of soil), plus random worm castings & microbe purchases to charge up Biochar. Too cold still to percolate outside, (high of 40 today), so will need to do some creative small herd farming indoors. Your videos very helpful & inspiring.
Thx again -
@@Grateful_Grannie you have the right idea to maximize the potential of container gardening. Biochar will make for beautiful soil mix, awesome. You remind me to get my herbs on the go here, lol. Thanks for the great comment, love hearing how you will be using biochar my friend. Have yourself a great day!
My soil sucks lol but I have a good bit of fully decomposed mulch under my chickens. My soil is almost all Grey pipe clay . Great for sealing ponds but terrible to grow in. I've already got some charcoal to mix . But I'm a complete newbie. Don't know anything about growing.... so this is great information
You will see the soil change, don't be scared to use as much as it takes. You can throw the freshly made charcoal into your chicken run they will charge it for you and it will reduce odor. Using biochar will generate top soil out of your clay, you will fall in love with this stuff, lol.
Thank-you my friend! You are starting in the right direction. Get your soil right and things will grow regardless of you being new to growing. Your tomatoes and peppers will rival the 'master gardeners'.
Have a great day my friend!
Does anything not grow well in your mix? Awesome video and will be a huge help to many!
Thank-you my friend for the kind comment! I still get scabby potatoes if I don't use sulfur, but that is more of a local bacteria/pH thing. I have some young asparagus that hasn't done well, but I was told the first few years should be in poor soil conditions? Over all, no, I have good productivity. In fact the increased productivity I saw with my own eyes is what convinced me to switch over to using Biochar. Hope you have yourself a great day!
Hi congratulations. Thanks for sharing. There is a lot of time and resource savings in the process you show. IThe question I have, is there is any fire hazard in the final mix? In my area there is a lot of danger of forest fires?
Hello my friend, thank-you. Once the charcoal has been converted to Biochar and mixed into soil it shouldn't be a fire hazard. There are articles/papers citing that areas at risk of forest fires would benefit from Biochar integration. Biochar retains moisture in the soil, and the conversion of undergrowth and dead vegetation to charcoal reduces fire risk. Great question.
I know this is an old video. But it was so much more useful to see the process and how it affected the soil.
Everyone's soil is different, so may need more or less biochar I guess. Ratios are just a starting point.
I was planning on adding 5% to my new garden, but I think more would be better as the soil is pretty poor right now.
So far as the compost, I'll mix in all I have and then topdress with more when I can. Cheers!
You get it, yes. Add as much as you can see/feel for yourself the soil change. Every soil is a little different, will need more or less. The important thing is you use Biochar at all, never mind the ratio.
Have a great week my friend, thanks for the comment! Cheers!
Great video! There are about 30 quarts per cubic foot.
Thank-you my friend! Hope you are having a great day!
Looks like 30% 28L soil + 12L = 40L 12/40 = 30%. Thanks for the experiment. Interested to see the sand and biochar video.
Thank-you my friend! I will be doing sand and clay this summer if there is no repeat of last years fire bans.
Thank you for this video.
I make small amounts of charcoal from dead oak limbs and other hardwoods. While it's still hot, I quench it in a mix of rainwater-soaked coffee grounds and, um, a 'nitrogen-heavy daily byproduct'.
I hate to waste stuff, so
while making charcoal, I burn any poultry, beef or pork bones and quench them too.
With the imminent leaf fall in my zone 6a, I'll add my buckets to the shredded leaves and let the microbes go crazy.
I would love to have Oak trees, you are blessed. Sounds like you are supercharging your char and compost, awesome. The bones will add calcium, and I've read studies indicating you get a higher carbon retention when adding calcium to the burn. I burn pretty much anything, lol. Thanks for the great comment, hope you are having a great summer!
The ratio probably originated from a company trying to make it sound like the small fortune you spend will go a cover a large airer (but you would have to do it over and over again) Yours is one and done ✔️
It is expensive to purchase so this makes sense. If your goal is to change the physical character of the soil then you need a much higher ratio as I demonstrate. Thank-you my friend! Have a great day!
How can I be sure that my biochar is well charged? Does it matter how much compost tea you add to charge your high quality charcoal? I've watched your videos on creating hq charcoal for biochar and creating compost tea. I'm so excited to get further into this process and try it myself. Thanks so much for sharing your process in real time and showing just how simple it really can be.
The best way to be sure it is well charged is to continually feed it over a significant period of time. Apply compost tea enough to soak it and keep soaking it once or more a day for at least 1 week, longer is better. Worm castings, rock/mineral dust, manure, and composts are also common additions. I have a short season and use all Biochar I am producing so I soak with tea to speed up the process. Be very generous in charging and you will have no worries. Thank-you for the great question and comments. Good luck with Biochar, I know you'll enjoy the results.
use biochar as a cover in your compost pit layer by layer and let it sit for months or so.. or until its finished. thats the amazonian way of making terra preta. it takes time but it is worth the wait! ☺️
This is very helpful. Was your biochar already charged when you added it to your soil?
Thank-you. Yes, it is charged. Charged with compost tea.
I don't mix my soil at all. I put all my amendments on top and let the soil put that stuff where it needs it. I'm super sandy, so if I mix, till or dig anything, all my humus disappears. I layer char (not precharged) between woodchips and chicken 💩. The process of decomposing the wood charges the char. By the time it touches the soil, it's plenty charged, and usually has mycelium boring through the chunks
Chickens will mix and charge things quite nicely. Sounds like you have things well in hand my friend. Cheers from Alberta!
Kool vid dood. How do you grind it? Blender, garbage disposal, drive over it?
Thanks. I smashed it with a sledge hammer in a pail and then sifted through 1/4 inch hardware cloth, lol.
@@halfmoongardens3345 awesome. Thanks.
I prefer adding damp biochar to damp soil; eliminates dust and biologically binds the two substrates.
Yes, that is wise.
I just eyeball 10-15% in my compost pile. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less. Doesn’t seem to matter that much. Just a good ballpark estimate seems to work. I pile up the “ingredients” before building the heap, so it’s pretty consistent. Works great when you charge it with chicken manure and urine.
Yes, awesome for the compost pile. I find it speeds things up significantly too. I hear spreading it on the chicken run gets it charged pretty good. Chickens would be wonderful to have. I think the amount doesn't matter so much unless you use too little to have a good effect. Urine is a supercharger for sure, and the biochar retains the nitrogen, perfect combination. Too simple. Thank-you my friend! Hope you are having a great day!
@@halfmoongardens3345 Thank you, kind man, for your advice. Tell me, what is the method of shipping biochar? Is animal urine or human urine? How can I collect urine? It's difficult.
@@toutitouti9026 Thank-you my friend! If you buy online it will ship using different carriers depending on point of purchase. If you plan to ship what you make the easiest way is to ship the raw charcoal uncharged. This way you avoid any regional regulations meant for any of your additives. The carbon should ship fine regular post and no carrier should refuse if you choose that alternative. For example, if you charge with urine you would now have nitrogen content and nitrogen in fertilizers is starting to be regulated, taxed and even banned. Avoid labelling regulations and shipping export/import regulations by shipping the raw product. As to urine, both animal and human is very high in nitrogen and minerals, just don't use urine if the source has been medicated, especially with antibiotics. Collecting urine is hard to answer. It is best to add urine fresh directly to the char. A bucket with char in it and hole in bottom to drain used as a urinal is best for human. Spread the char on the ground where the animals urinate to soak up the urine is best for animals. Collecting urine by itself can lead to it going sour, foul smells, and would not be my first choice. I hope this helps, I'm happy to answer if I can. Have yourself a wonderful day my friend! Peace!
@@halfmoongardens3345 Thank you for the good clarification. I have a request, please, can you write to me your WhatsApp
@@toutitouti9026 I suggest using human urine (yours). I use it widely in my backyard and the result is fantastic. The degree of mix depend on your preference.
👍
I only work the Biochar into the top 6" of the raised bed soil, so that would 1/2 cu ft. I am getting ready to mix up some soil for 5 gallon containers, so those will be just over 1/2 cu ft each, too.
Awesome my friend! Yeah, my soil layer is 6-8 inches generally on top of huglekulture (pile o' wood). Works awesome in containers. I'd love to have some of that Ohio top soil in my garden, I hear good things. Great to hear from you! Thank-you for the great comment my friend!
Maybe also depends on size of biochar particles. I heard not to crush too much but I’m just starting to use it so I’m learning.
Yes, the particle size changes the mass/volume ratio. Really is something you must see working into the soil yourself where you judge how much is enough by the physical changes you observe. I try to show this in the video.
Particle size does matter. Several reasons not to reduce it to dust. Several reasons not to leave it in large chunks. I find the best particle size for biochar and soil is what passes through a 1/4 inch screen. I pass my char and soil through 1/4 inch screen this gives me a more homogenous mix. Direct sown seeds won't be inhibited and the resulting mix is loose and well draining.
Crush to the size that is most efficient for you to work with. Don't reduce to dust and don't leave in big chunks. Here is a link to particle size being tested, I found this helpful maybe you will too. ua-cam.com/video/DT1gxIk5g0Q/v-deo.html
I've been using biochar over tens years and have studied it nearly twenty. My latest video starts with what my soil looks like in a bed mixed five years ago. Look and see if this is the result you are looking for by using biochar. ua-cam.com/video/yn08AXGTv-M/v-deo.html
Hope you have a great day my friend!
Starting from scratch. My soil blend is composed of 3parts coco, 2parts composted horse manure, 1part perlite/Vermiculite, and 5 percent of that volume in worm castings (i have an abundance of castins available to me). I have about 25 qts of bio char to use but I dont have any old soil to charge it... how do i go about charging it ?
Sounds like you have plenty of resources at hand to charge biochar. Worm castings can be added, composted manure, urine, compost, compost tea, really anything organic. The idea is to add microbial life as it is these organisms that will metabolize compounds (nutrients) and increase fertility/health of the soil. I use a combination of cold fungal dominated compost and compost tea which is just weeds in a bucket of rain water.
Clay, silt, and sand are full of all the minerals you need and biochar will unlock any soil's potential. If you are growing in a medium with no soil I would suggest some rock dust.
Just remember that 'charging' biochar isn't about loading NPK it is about creating a rich living matrix of micro-organisms. If you want to front load NPK then I would recommend urine to supercharge char.
Great question my friend! Just some simple compost tea added over a week or two is a great place to start. Add what you have, no need to spend much effort or any money. Biochar is great in 'soil less' mixes, you will enjoy using it. Good luck, hope you are having a great day!
I plant on containers and i use around 50 to 70 % biochar and the rest is my clay soil. Ive been sweet potatoes in it and it is very lose making it the ideal growing medium for tubers.
Awesome to hear how you are using biochar to make your clay soil useful in containers. I swear by this stuff. Thanks for sharing my friend! Hope you are having a great week!
Do you have a method of breaking the biochar/ charcoal down to small pieces from larger chunks. Is it necessary and better to be smaller pieces? And do you think it is better to break it down before or after charging. Thanks
I use a pail and a sledgehammer to pound the charcoal and run it through a 1/4 inch hardware cloth screen using only what goes through and returning the large pieces to the pail. Not too hard, charcoal breaks very easy. Yes, smaller pieces are better to get a good distribution in a mix. You don't want dust, but 1/4 inch or smaller pieces work awesome for me. Always be careful not to breathe any carbon dust when working with biochar, dampen it down before any smashing. You can charge it before, after breaking it down. Depends on how quickly you want to use it and how you are charging. Breaking it down first will increase the surface area being 'charged'. Great questions my friend, I hope this helps. Have a great day!
I use a sheet of plywood and drive my truck over it. Lots of ways to do it! 😊
@@rhinothumping Thanx! I am going to try that.
To keep things simple with common measurements:
5% at 5gal of soil would be 1qt of char
Multiply to increase concentration.
In my experience, the quality of your soil (or dirt) is the determining factor when it comes to concentration. My land is primarily clay and rock hardpan, so I've used upwards of 50% with success due to the poor structure of the native soil; 30% was my sweet spot but is specific to each individuals growing environments and conditions.
Sounds right to me, this video was the first and last time I've measured. It really does depend on the medium you are adding it to.
I find it easy to tell when I've added enough as I can see the change. Then I add a little more, lol.
Have a great day my friend!
I've heard that a century ago when most people had fire places and wood stoves that they would put hardwood ashes in the garden. Are the benefits to that equal to biochar?
Ashes contain some minerals still and can be used to good effect, but no permanent benefit. The charcoal produced by pyrolysis is long chains of crystalized carbon that will take 100s to 1000s of years to break down and re-enter the carbon cycle. Nothing has benefits equal to biochar as nothing else lasts as long actively providing fertility, aeration, water retention, etc. Great question my friend. Hope you are having a great day!
12 qts in 1 cf is around a 30% mixture. That's more than I would do, but if it works for you, great!
Is the friction created by the mixing of the biochar and dry soil creating an electrical charge that helps the biochar accept/attract the innoculants?
Interesting, we know the objects being mixed have potential energy. Is the kinetic energy released by my mixing affecting the cation exchange rate in a measurable way. Makes sense to me that it would/could.
Amazing comment, has me thinking, very interesting. Thank-you my friend, hope you are having a great weekend!
Yes, I looked this up and yes. Use sand and you get measurable charges very fast. This is related to how lightning works also. You have a natural affinity for physics to think like this, I'm impressed.
I'm very pleased you shared your perspective with me on this, very interesting. Thank-you my friend!
Mmmmm lead paint chips.
We can barely scratch the surface on how powerful Biochar actually is. We used mopp gear in the military.. imagine one tiny grain being powerful enough to detoxify a liter of water.Think of it as "black powder" in reverse.
Right, Carbon chemistry is it's own discipline, no other element has such dedicated study. Organic Chemistry should just be called Carbon Chemistry. Water filtration is something I will be trying as I am curious and cleaning water would be a great skill to have.
The people I respect the most are those who give of themselves to serve others. Thank-you for your service my friend! Hope you are having a great day!
kindly guide me if have 6kg pot 6kg soil in it how much biochar should be added in it?
I would say about 500ml dry volume of Biochar. Mix together well, you will see and feel if it needs more. Really depends on what you are adding it to but you really can see/feel the difference. Don't worry about adding too much, just make sure you don't use too little. Sorry for the late reply, hope this helps. Have a great day my friend!
There's approximately 26 dry qts per dry cubit feet of soil so you mixing 6/26x100 is about 30%
9/26x100 = 35%
Make sure to use the terms cubic foot of soil and dry quarts when calculating percentages for soil. A few comments say 30 Quarts/cu ft. But thats volume for liquid not soil
Very helpful my friend! Dry quarts it is then. Useful calculations, some people need those numbers. At least they always ask, lol. I just go by eye/feel so I had no idea either before I did this. I appreciate you taking the time, sorry I was slow to respond. Thank-you!
As I understand Biochar will make you use less fertilizer. Since it will store the leftover fertilizer when the soil is saturated with fertilizer
. That’s the main point of it?
The main point/benefit is that it provides a permanent matrix/home for microbial life. These microbes metabolize nutrients/minerals in the soil and make these available for your plants. Should not need any fertilizer as far as NPK. The only thing I add to established soil is an annual mulch in the fall.
Biochar will prevent nutrient leeching when using fertilizer yes. If you are using manure or chemical fertilizer next to water biochar will keep the water from being polluted.
Thanks for the great question my friend! Have a great weekend, Cheers!
How tu grind into small pieces Thanks
I put in a pail or bucket and smash with a sledge hammer. I use 1/4 inch hardware cloth to screen the pieces to remove large pieces. Some people use a loader bucket on an excavator or tractor. I have also seen a garbage disposal used. However you do it be careful to keep it damp with water so you don't breath carbon dust, bad for lungs. Thank-you my friend!
Thanks. How do you charge ur biochar?
I use compost tea made from weeds and rain water mostly. When mixing I also add cold composted leaf/grass mulch which is fungal dominated. Add anything you would add to compost, use what you have on hand. Hope you have a great day my friend!
You say this is a one time amendment. I get that the char will last forever, but how long are the nutrients there?? Will it eventually reverse and drain any nutrients that are left?
Great question my friend! Plant available nutrients are byproducts of micro-organisms. The biochar creates an environment where the soil food web can be healthy. This is how permanent fertility is achieved, not by an unlimited supply of nutrients held by the char. The biology of the soil is changed by adding char, the fertility is a result. Hope you have a great day my friend!
Covercropping on the off seasonn would ensure that there is a living root in the ground during the non-active growing season to promote & interact with the soil life & keep the biochar active with life.
Biochar may take up nutrients from the soil, but I belive that as long as biochar stays in the soil so do the nutrients it took from the soil. So plants should be able to access the nutrients by puting ruts into the bichar.
Anything I pull from the garden always has biochar attached by the fine roots. Good point my friend, but remember it is not the nutrients but the microbiology that is most important. Thank-you for the comment, hope you are having a great day!
Can you mix it with coco coir/perlite mix 70/30? If so what ratio...thanks!
Yes, no need for perlite though with biochar. Ratio would be known by the indoor cannabis growers, they have been doing biochar mixes for years. I never use Coir so I can't say, but with peat I mix till there is a visible change to the physical character. I don't use biochar sparingly. I'd hate to guess at a ratio with something I've never used. Sorry I can't say what ratio but it will make a nice mix if you use enough.
Hope you are having a great week my friend!
@halfmoongardens3345 Thank you for the awesome knowledge, I'm super new to this ...honestly so far so bad ...lol..but with patience there's growth ...honestly I'm gonna try a 70/30/10 mix of coir/perlite/activated charcoal.... 🤞
@@garyhonas1848 that is how we learn, good for you to try it. Let me know what ratio you find you like. Awesome...
@halfmoongardens3345 hey brother ...so somehow instead of ordering activated charcoal. I ordered a bag of persist biochar soil enhancer 😅...maybe it was just ment to be....but bow I'm trying to do a crash course on biochar ...is all biochar uncharged? ..and would you suggest using it charged or uncharged ...and if charged what's your process 😅 sorry for all the questions
@@halfmoongardens3345 hey actually after watching your video for a second time (only this time with the purpose in mind for using biochar) you've answered alotta my questions 😅..
You look like Tom Bombadil.
You definitely need some compost in there too, it would be so much better
Thank-you my friend, compost does go in. My top soil is mixed with biochar till I like the consistency then I add leaf/grass fungal dominated cold compost (like the forest floor). To amend this soil mix I just keep leaf/grass mulch on top usually add in fall. I appreciate your advice, hope you have a great day my friend!
@@halfmoongardens3345 sounds great, I don't know why I doubted you. All the best 👍
Is this good for pots ?
Yes, very good!
I can't find your other comment to reply, so I will here. Yes, you can make mediums with biochar. If you are making 'soiless' mediums use rock dust in charging the biochar to replace minerals the soil would normally contribute.
I asked, is coco coir any good for this mix?
@@timothytucker-oi5qr yes
how do you "charge" biochar?
Starting with high quality charcoal (closer in composition to graphite than say soot). There is a scale/spectrum of quality.
You can 'charge' by adding nutrients and micro-biology. Typically compost/compost tea is added as this has both established microbes and nutrients for more organisms to grow. Urine will instantly charge with nutrients and minerals and makes a biochar that acts as an immediate fertilizer which will continue to charge up with micro-organisms once added to soil.
Simply you 'charge' by adding life, it takes care of itself after that with minimal inputs to the system.
Great question, hope my answer makes sense. Charge means add life/nutrition, but more emphasis on life.
Have a great day my friend!
Dude, we’ve got a slew of walnut saplings. Can I make biochar out of this with no harm from the poison stuff in walnut trees?
My friend, sorry for the late reply. I don't believe the harm would be to the biochar, but rather any off gassing you might get in your eyes/lungs. I have seen many references to walnut shells making excellent biochar. I can't say for certain there is no risk as I have not researched walnut specifically as I don't have any growing here.
I burn spruce and spruce has compounds that inhibit the growth of plants. The high temp from a properly done biochar burn will reduce all organic compounds to crystallized carbon. The resulting biochar does not contain these growth inhibiting compounds.
Please use caution with anything you know is toxic. Again, I think the char would be fine but may be dangerous to you as it burns if you inhale it or get it on your skin/eyes? If walnut wood has the same high levels of lignin as walnut shells you may have yourself some superior biochar.
Have yourself a great day! Let me know if you make char or what you find out about walnut. Very interesting. Thank-you my friend!
@@halfmoongardens3345 Thank you so much. My friend’s place has so many saplings and the brush piles are getting out of hand. Blessings and peace upon you and your household.
@@ricksteen935 your comments are a blessing my friend, thank-you!
Can you dig out & sell the saplings? Are they Carpathian ("English") or Black walnuts? Juglones (the allelopathic chemical that suppresses the growth of other plants, esp Nightshade (Solanaceae) Family (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, etc) in leaves is said to leach out after a yr, & can be added to regular compost. As for the question at hand, it would seem logical the process would destroy any juglones that didn't leach out in the time it took the branches to dry to a burnable stage. However, ir is an interesting subject you might consider experimenring with, yourself. Heck, maybe get w/ a Land-grant State University & get a peospective Grad studeent to study the subject. I'd be interested in the results; I majored in Wildlife Science, but didn't go for a Master's (prob'ly should've) & my parents have walnut trees, LOL!
@@leiatyndall8648 Thanks for the insight!! Not sure what type they are, I’m thinking black walnut but not sure. If I turn them into biochar do you think that the juglones an issue?
What do you charge yours with?
I make compost tea with weeds/rain water.
@@halfmoongardens3345 ha e you ever made compost tea with kitchen scraps…fruits and veggies? I am a ale to get quite a bit that is being tossed by a local supermarket and want to try and make compost tea from it then charge my Biochar. I have a local company I’m able to get dirt cheap Biochar from and am ready to charge it. I am purchasing 3 tons a month
@@BooYahPower you certainly can use kitchen scraps, yes. Making tea is just to speed things up, you can compost your fruits and veggies right in the biochar, just takes a little longer.
How do you charge biochar?
With some form of compost/manure mixed in and left to breakdown. The charcoal will 'soak' up all the nutrients and micro-organisms will colonize the crystal carbon structures turning the charcoal to biochar. Thank-you for the great question I'll have to make a video showing different ways, until then here is an example of a fast and easy way ua-cam.com/video/HoJflXom7JE/v-deo.html
@@halfmoongardens3345 Exactly video I needed right now.
One query on charging. I run over my raked leaves a few times times with the lawn mower, so it's fairly small. Would adding this alone to the biochar be enough to charge it?
@@foamer443 Thank-you. Yes, leaves are full of minerals and organic compounds micro-organisms will thrive with. Add water and keep moist, you can add grass clippings for nitrogen. Yes a fine organic mulch will charge the charcoal as it composts. I use cold leaf compost which is fungal dominated in my soil mix. Charging with your leaf mulch will take some time but it will work. Keep it moist and your method will charge up some black gold. Have a great day my friend!
@@halfmoongardens3345 Cheers. Thx
How much we learn.?
Just hope I can get you thinking, you'll learn by doing. Hope you are having a great day my friend!
1 cubic foot is just shy of 30 quarts.
10% of 30 is 3 qts.
Awesome, thank-you my friend!
takes 37 minutes to mix 1 cubic foot of soil?
If you get me going on about it, yeah, even longer.
Why can't bio har be loaded up with hypotonic ,let's say 20/20/20 could load heavy or just same as fertilizer
You can charge with a focus on NPK yes. It will slow nutrient leeching and fertilizer run off will be reduced. Applying fertilizer to char is fine. The real purpose of 'charging' is to promote micro-organisms. A healthy biome of micro-organisms and fungi will generate far more nutrition for the plants than just NPK.
Hope you are having a Merry Christmas my friend!
Wait there’s 7.5 gallons per cubic foot. That’s 30 quarts per cubic foot. 10% is 3 quarts. 15% is 4.5 quarts. What’s your ratio?
Yeah, I just add till I see the physical character of the soil change. In this case it worked out to 12 quarts biochar to 1 cubic foot soil. All soil is different as are biochars so ratios will vary. I was just hoping to give a visualization of the concept.
@@halfmoongardens3345 Thanks so much! ❤
Sounds like it’s not a bad thing to use more rather than less.
12 quarts = 3 gallons
1 CF - 7.5 gallons
3 gal/10.5 gallons total = 28% concentration
My garden is 40’x 80’ so a 28% concentration calculated on amending just the top 6” is 16 CY of BioChar!
@@zanepaxton7452 Better get busy.
10% would be 1.25 inches of biochar per square foot.
By my math, 10% of a cubic foot would be roughly 3 quarts. 12 quarts would be roughly 40%.
Sounds right, but the soil is much more dense. If the char was broken down to the same size particles as sand/silt/clay the volume would be significantly lower. This is why it is hard for people to visualize how much is 5% or 10%. I just add until I see the physical changes to the soil, I never calculate or measure. I was off grid for a few days, forgive my slow reply. Thanks for the comment! Have a great day my friend!
Add water as you mix in wheelbarrow.
I mixed dry so people can see the soil change when mixed with biochar. I didn't want people attributing what they see to moisture, if that makes sense.
Great practical advice my friend, thank-you! Hope you are having a great day!
I’m pretty sure all your stuff is dry, therefore all the microbes are dead..!
Water is life
I used dry ingredients so there would be no confusion over the physical changes seen in the soil. I didn't want what you see attributed to moisture, as watering soil always makes it look darker/richer.
In the absence of water most microbes will stop reproducing and even enter dormancy but they do not just all die.
Hope you have a great day my friend!
Way I see it. Anything above zero is more than none. The more than none is better.
Zero would not work, I agree
I saw the thunbnail and i thought thats Gandalf😂 Biochars are so variable we need lots more research.
You are right that there are many variables, Gandalf, lol
30 quarts + 12 quarts = 42 quarts so 12 parts to 42 = 28%
SURE! ALL THAT WORK FOR 1 5 GALLON BUCKET FOR 1 VEGATABLE!
Actually reduces the amount of 'work' needed to get your vegetables.
i never measure biochar, i simply grab a handful per few liters of soil and mix it together and that's it, it's not accurate science, just try to work with it until you find what works for you.
First time I measured was for this video. I just add until I see and feel the physical character of the soil change. You are right, everyone has different soil conditions and will have to find what works for them. I get many questions on how much should be used. Thanks for the comment. Have a great day my friend!
char is to small needs to be the size of a pebble
I run soil/char/compost all through 1/4 inch hardware cloth. This is the maximum particle size I prefer. Breaking the char down increases surface area. There is nothing wrong with pebble size, I appreciate you sharing your experience. Have a great day my friend!
Worst looking dirt more like sand
Silt, nasty alkaline silt from the bottom of a dried up salt water lake.
DO YOU REALIZE HOW MANY 5GALLON BUCKETS OF BIOCHAR IT WOULD TAKE FOR JUST A 30 ×40 VEG GARDEN TO KEEP ONE PERSON ALIVE? COME ON!
In this video I'm sitting in over 10000 square feet of soil with this ratio of Biochar. It provides food for a whole family, not one person. Hey, but your right, I guess I don't realize what I'm doing is work, lol. Turn off the caps lock or you will receive less polite replies than mine.
I can’t imagine letting my soil dry out that much… it kills off so much of the biology.
More likely to slow reproduction or even cause dormancy, kill is a little dramatic, lol. Yeah, keep your soil moist and happy. I specifically wanted dried soil and char so the visual change you see in the video could not be dismissed as moisture induced. I like to keep my soil over huglekulture, under mulch and watered. Have a great Easter my friend! Peace
Not good looking soil
Hi! Thank you for sharing! New to your channel, SUBBED!
QUESTION: I'm a newbie to gardening, but have been "planning" for years! I've been composting & have saved piles of char for years! I just built an AMAZING hügelkultur that is 285 CUBIC feet! I was going to add my "char", but have done nothing, at least intentionally, to "charge" it. Having sat, for YEARS, has it "charged" itself? I mean, the grass/weeds growing on it were THRIVING! I had to clear it all away to access the char! Do I need to do a "soak" in compost tea, or anything, anyway? Or can I just go ahead and mix it in, as-is, since nature has been doing its "thing" with the char pile? I would hate to add it, without charging, if it's going to suck up all the beneficial nutrients for the first few years; I have put ALOT of effort into this, so far & want it to succeed immediately! Anyway, thanks again for sharing your time & talent with us! Greetings from the PNW! 🇺🇸 🪓🌲🪓🌲
Thank-you my friend, great to have you here. Let me know if you ever put up videos and I'll return the favor.
Sounds like you have some great resources ready to go, awesome. Soil everywhere has all the raw minerals/elements to be good soil. What you need is the diverse micro-organism 'soil web' to unlock the potential of the soil. So think of the biochar being charged by life as more important than nutrients even though it holds both. Being outside for that amount of time exposed to rain wind and critters should have the char 'colonized'. Urine will add nitrogen and plant ready minerals, compost tea from weeds and rain will do the same. You can add something like that, but sounds to me your good to go. I would just mix the char in. Stuff growing in it is a good sign. Dig around, I bet you find worms too. If in doubt add tea/urine, easy and effective.
Hope this isn't too long and somewhat helpful. Have a great day my friend, good luck in the garden, sounds awesome!
@@halfmoongardens3345 Not too long, at all! 👍 I TRULY APPRECIATE the response, as your answer confirmed what my gut/heart was telling me! Yes the critters had found their way in, as I DID have worms, centipedes & the like, in the pile, as well! 👌 Turns out, that char pile was right on top of a many years-old compost pile, so as I dug, I got some great degraded compost & white bacteria/fungus stuff to blend, as well! Been outside ALL day, gittin' dirty! I am ACTUALLY READY to sow seed, FINALLY! This Hügelkultur has been "in the making" since April; wheeeeeeew! Here a little, there a little! Weather here has been PERFECT, so hopefully, the growing season is still plentiful! 😁 If you have an email, I'd be happy to send a few pics!
Thanks again! 🤝
@@axemanmike4390 I just came in from getting dirty myself. Nothing like working for yourself and yours. I'd love to see what you have going on if you want to share edward@terrafireorganics.com