Garden Soil

[Ahmabeliever]

Peat Moss is NOT sterile. Nowhere near it. An atomic assay found 50 000 species of bacteria and 20 000 species of fungi in one sample of alaska humus (peat).

Get some peat, add molasses and water, brew it with a bubbler - two days later get thee hence to your microscopes and observe!

[Essay]

Originally Posted by JMJones0424

Biochar can be an excellent soil amendment that helps in water retention and CEC.

With a heavy clay soil, I am not interested in supplementing either of these properties. I need aeration, and I can find no study or anecdotal evidence as to long term benefits of biochar in this regard. You have been looking at this far more than I, can you point me in the right direction?

Maybe I can find a source (or sombody else can--now) but I think biochar can be thought of as a CEC & water-retention buffer.
In marginal soils it will increase both CEC & retention qualities.....

But in high CEC soils it will serve to bind high ion concentrations as microbes flourish within and around the char--creating more of a "slow release" conditioning.
And in highly compact, dense soils, char would areate and promote the migration of water--bridging areas of slightly different potentials, preventing micro-stagnation.

Though I think your clay sherds ideas are also valid....

~

[Essay]

Originally Posted by Ahmabeliever

Peat Moss is NOT sterile. Nowhere near it. An atomic assay found 50 000 species of bacteria and 20 000 species of fungi in one sample of alaska humus (peat).

Get some peat, add molasses and water, brew it with a bubbler - two days later get thee hence to your microscopes and observe!

But many of the wee beasties in Peat Moss secrete antimicrobial chemicals as a defense mechanism--to prevent colonization by other beasties-- hence its amphi-microbial nature?

Simple humic acid is antimicrobial toward most skin bacteria, isn't it?

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[JMJones0424]

Originally Posted by Ahmabeliever

Peat Moss is NOT sterile. Nowhere near it. An atomic assay found 50 000 species of bacteria and 20 000 species of fungi in one sample of alaska humus (peat).

Get some peat, add molasses and water, brew it with a bubbler - two days later get thee hence to your microscopes and observe!

First, I never said peat moss was sterile. Second, I haven't heard of Alaska humus, it looks like good stuff, I will have to find some and try it out.

Here is a description from a company that sells it here: (I cannot post links yet, remove the "!")

h!t!t!p!://w!w!w!.denaligold.us/

The origin of Alaskan humus has been reliably traced back tens of thousands of years, and has slowly matured by Alaska’s long winters and short intense summers. This maturation combined with the interaction of volcanic ash and glacial silt has made Denali Gold™ Alaskan Humus one of natures finest products for all of your gardening and horticultural needs.

This sounds nothing at all like peat moss.

Here is a small excerpt from wikipedia's description of peat moss

Sphagnum and the peat formed from it do not decay readily because of the phenolic compounds embedded in the moss's cell walls. An additional reason is that the bogs in which Sphagnum grows are submerged, deoxygenated, and favor slower anaerobic decay rather than aerobic microbial action.
...
Sphagnum moss has also been used for centuries as a dressing for wounds, including both World Wars. It is absorptive and extremely acidic, inhibiting the growth of bacteria and fungi.

I have observed the difference between peat moss based planting mixes and compost based planting mixes under the microscope, I suggest you take your own advice. Even after a year, there is a remarkable difference between the two. Thank you for bringing up Alaska humus though, it looks like remarkable stuff.