[TerryPradha]

Originally Posted by Essay

I think that's valid. You could soak activated char in MiracleGrow and make a time-release fertilizer (I'm speculating).
Equally(?), used fishtank filter charcoal would be "charged" with "fertilizer."

...btw
My new pH tests looks about the same, fairly neutral.

See a "pH report" on the TP Blog (click on "Terra Preta Social Group").

That is what I meant, exactly.
Like an empty container filling itself with whatever it can adsorb.

Perhaps the different things that are added, affect the ph?
There really seems to be alot of differing ideas.
The CEC difference, being a BIG one.

I looked through the 4 pages for a "Terra Preta Social Group" but couldn't find it.

I wonder if plants will grow in pure char?
The plant would be required to survive off of whatever the char was filled with.

[Essay]

Originally Posted by TerryPradha

I looked through the 4 pages for a "Terra Preta Social Group" but couldn't find it.

Yes, the elite "social groups," hidden away so well (IMHO, the system could use a few improvements).

On the Right hand side of the screen (for the main forums page)...
Look below "recent posts," "no replies," and ""sci. news" to find...

"Random Social Groups" ...and click on "View All Groups" (at the bottom of the list) if TP doesn't happen to be on the randomly selected list.
...and find the list of "social groups" there.
That's the official TP blog (from what I've been told); but it doesn't notify the group members when a post goes up.

I'm leaning toward using this thread as an unofficial method of "notification."


p.s. Glad the "scantily clad" reference was enjoyed.
I always prefer to think of hydrogen ions as "naked protons" (and scantily clad, even when bound -oooh, kinky! ), so it was neat to extend the metaphor to a whole nucleus.
Beavis, ...he said "extend."

[Michaelangelica]

This sort of article will give TP a bad name, even if it is a good idea.
Has anyone got access to the original New scientist article?
Could felling trees and burying them help fight global warming?

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

This sort of article...

...Would be great in the TP social group or a blog.

[TerryPradha]

Originally Posted by Essay

Yes, the elite "social groups," hidden away so well (IMHO, the system could use a few improvements).

On the Right hand side of the screen (for the main forums page)...
Look below "recent posts," "no replies," and ""sci. news" to find...

"Random Social Groups" ...and click on "View All Groups" (at the bottom of the list) if TP doesn't happen to be on the randomly selected list.
...and find the list of "social groups" there.
That's the official TP blog (from what I've been told); but it doesn't notify the group members when a post goes up.

I'm leaning toward using this thread as an unofficial method of "notification."


p.s. Glad the "scantily clad" reference was enjoyed.
I always prefer to think of hydrogen ions as "naked protons" (and scantily clad, even when bound -oooh, kinky! ), so it was neat to extend the metaphor to a whole nucleus.
Beavis, ...he said "extend."

Thanks Essay, I did get to where you had posted a list of ideas for the social group, but not the inner circle by any means.
I checked out the url you posted and was able to read page one.

Here they claimed high acid exchance and high CEC on High temperature char.
I liked the idea they were innoculating the char with various things.

You were the first person to indicate that it would be a good idea. This article was the second.

You'll have to make a dvd for school kids to pique their interest in chemistry. Call it: "Naked Protons!!! Bound,,, For Food"
All the kids will be thinking that 'Protons', is the Irish name for, 'Amazons'

[Essay]

Originally Posted by TerryPradha

Thanks Essay, I did get to where you had posted a list of ideas for the social group, but not the inner circle by any means.

I think that's as "inner" as it gets; but I'm new here, don't rely on me! I just figured out clicking on someone's icon led to a "comments" page.

Originally Posted by TerryPradha

You'll have to make a dvd for school kids to pique their interest in chemistry. Call it: "Naked Protons!!! Bound,,, For Food"
All the kids will be thinking that 'Protons', is the Irish name for, 'Amazons' Irish?

Good idea!
...exchanging fluids and cations in the dark Carbon Caves filled with scantily clad nucleons protruding out, waiting anxiously....

~Later

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by TerryPradha

Thanks Essay, I did get to where you had posted a list of ideas for the social group, but not the inner circle by any means.

That's as far as the inner circle goes.
The idea behind this thread (originally) was to set up a TP social group so we could all share pictures, techniques, etc.
Ironically, this thread has become the repository.

With all the TP threads and topics here at Hypography, it can become difficult to remember which thread you read, or posted, a particular idea in. This makes it difficult to reshare this information. By having a central location to "blog" from (present news, pics, etc.), it makes finding the info much easier. This is the reason Essay created the index thread for the massive "TP parent thread". It makes it a lot easier to find the info.

So, while I don't personally have any problems with people posting in this thread, I don't think it helps with organization to have multiple subjects of TP (wee beasties, CEC, pottery, etc.) in one place when there is already a "catchall" space, as well as separate threads that deal with these issues individually. Hopefully that clears up some of the confusion.

Any ideas on how to better organize this massive resource are certainly welcome.

[Michaelangelica]

This is very topical.
I am being sent emails telling me all TP is "wrong"
Limitations Of Charcoal As An Effective Carbon Sink
Sigh, if people only understood the scientific process.

Monday bummer blogging | Gristmill: The environmental news blog | Grist
An interesting discussion of the Swedish paper I just posted in "research".
Read that first before going to this blog or the Science article above- both seem to have based their reports on the press release.

[TerryPradha]

So do we know if pine char is lowering CEC in the soil? Could it be that low temp charring that retains the oils of pine cause that?

It seems that pure char burned at high temps would be just a lot of carbon, regardless of what it was made from. This gets more confusing all the time.

[Philip Small]

IIRC, char has a CEC of 10-30 meq/100gm, and humus has a CEC of 100-300 meq/100gm. Char in and of itself would increase CEC of a low CEC soil (sandy soil, highly weathered tropical soil, high rainfall coniferous forest soil) and decrease it in a high 2:1 clay soil (Texas gumbo soil) or high humus content soil (prairie mollisols). The surface of char attracts and detains high CEC humus compounds. It also weathers a bit and secondary organic compounds formed from char will also have a much higher CEC than the source char. Thus, adding to char will promote higher CEC than in non-char amended soil and far in excess of the CEC it can contribute directly. The time needed for the CEC increase to be measurable is a function of the intensity of the weathering. Long time where cold/dry, short where moist/warm. The devil is in the details.