Quote:
Originally Posted by mathuranatha
Hey ,I've dug a pit [about 2 cubic meters] and have accumulated a big mound of charcoal [3or4 cubic meters] and am wondering how best to crush it or if crushing is necessary . I made some garden beds, some without biochar and some with[30%]about 2 months ago , not much difference in growth rates though and that was roughly crushed by hand.
|
Did you saturate or "fertilize" the charcoal or biochar soil with some rich nitrogen sources like chemical fertilizer or manure? If not, do it asap, as low amounts of nitrogen will retard the development of the microbial community and plants. I believe that charcoal's ability to bind nutrients also sucks up initially available N, but once the microbial ecosystem gets going, N release and storage will be very good. When I first used biochar, my plants didn't grow as fast and I thought I must've made a mistake. Then later, I discovered that the char needs a heavy dose of N, through some means, to help establish the microbes and plants.
----------------
Teach a Wall Street banker how to build a fire and he'll be warm for the night. Set a Wall Street banker on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Logic
The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding.
--Ambrose Bierce,
The Devil's Dictionary
