BIOCHAR~what is it....??

[boggybranch]

I figured it would be too complex for me to understand! LOL

I was just trying to take a stab at it. It took awhile to learn about potash. Which I think is an amazing natural find in itself. How long until we deplete that!?

Anyways, I hope to see more research on BioChar.

Heck....soap's to complex for me....hahahaha

 

[simple life]

I went to a workshop on this last fall and came away with a garbage bag full of biochar from the presenter.
We were told the people of the Amazon Rain Forest in Brazil were the first to use it.
He had a machine, sort of a furnace that he uses to burn the wood very very slowly on low temps to make this biochar.
The biochar itself is not like ash or charcoal in appearance or texture, its shiny, sort of crisp feeling and doesn't get you dirty like regular ash.
I used it in my garden and promised to report back to him my results after this spring gardening season is over.
Mother Earth News also had an article on it at one time.

Edited because I found the article in Mother Earth News and added the link.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/Make-Biochar-To-Improve-Your-Soil.aspx

 

[Hattie the Hen]

simplelife thank you so much for your input.

It will be so interesting to see what it does for your garden, please keep us up to date on it.

I'm adding a new link:

http://www.biochar-international.org/

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[RDRANCH]

Hi there RDRANCH

Did you read it on the internet ? If so do you have a link to it ?

I'm fascinated as it seems to be getting a lot of people very riled up (on both sides......!?).
I had been researching Rock dust when suddenly this popped up & I was off on another sleuthing adventure through the ether.......

I love a bit of research!


:rose Hattie :rose

Very sorry but no I don't remember where I read it.

 

[digitS']

I get the idea that this may be an efficient system for using biomass for fuel while making a reasonably safe and suitable soil amendment available. But, if all we come away with is that it is a good idea for us to allow weeds to make seeds and to burn "stuff" in the out-of-doors - I'm unconvinced as to the usefulness.

I have some experience with slash and burn agriculture, some experience with wood ash as fertilizer, even some experience with manure ash as fertilizer . . .

Maybe the hook but I'm not going for the line and sinker on this one.

Steve