Best way to charge Biochar?

I'm interested as well hopefully someone w knowledge on subject can chime in.

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Subbed....I'm interested too

 

i just mixed mine in a 1:1 ratio with compost, got it moist and let it sit for a month.


i wouldn't waste amendments on charging biochar, save them for the soil mix.
my 2c

 

No expert whatsoever but I believe that the only reason char gets "charged" is because until it can settle into the soil awhile it can suck some Nitrogen out of the surrounding soil, similar to wood shavings or any other high cellulose/tough material can.


I soak mine in a tub of festering stinking chicken manure sludge for the month.


J

 

if I had my way each time I incorporated into my "soil, and time wasn't an issue, I would soak it for a couple weeks in some kind of nutritional amendment soup and then add it directly to the compost heap for another month before planting.


Again, tho, the last thing I'm an expert at is making and using biochar. This is just what I believe to be common sense in that the nutritional amendment soup soak will take care of the whole Nitrogen deal and then adding it directly into the compost heap will help inoculate the char with microbes.


That's about as much info as I personally have on it. I like its aeration properties myself... Lol


J

 

thing is biochar will naturally get charged in the soil anyway, we just precharge to avoid letting it soak up nutrients from the soil.

 

I imagine mixing it in with your compost at 10â„… by volume once it's starting to look finished.

I think that's the recommended rate at what you'd add it to a finished potting mix at least.

Then just finish out your compost or leave it in finished compost for a couple weeks.

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Pretty much what Scoob said, it will get charged in the soil. I've always just added it to my mix.


I used it for years as a medium for orchids. It's inert and doesn't suck N like wood chips as they decompose. It doesn't decompose, it's pure carbon. All this charging bit is fairly recent, like the last few years. 30-40 years ago it was rinse the dust off and use it as is.


I use it mainly for aeration and just don't consider it much beyond that function. It's good stuff to be sure, just don't give it more importance than it deserves. It's not a game changer.


Starting a worm bin IS a game changer. If you have a yard, a comfrey patch and compost pile are game changers. Neem cake and kelp meal are also game changers. Get those going, add the Bio Char and change the game even more for the good.


God! My wife is right. I AM a cranky old asshat!


Wet

 

Wetdog got it down. Biochar is more like apartment developments for microbial life. It is activated by adding food for the microbes. Something like flour and worm castings and some water will activate biochar. Let it ferment a couple weeks.

 

By no means im no expert but i have read of basically brewing a compost tea with coconut water and fulvic acid. I also added neptunes liquid kelp. I did that with about a half pound. The rest which fills a 5g bucket is soaking in an amendment solution. Once this is done soaking for a couple weeks i might soak it all in some protekt and then amend it into my soil. Im also looking for aeration here as i added perlite initially but this breaks down as its silica based. Know it takes a long time but i wouldnt want to be forced to destroy my no till because of something stupid like aeration loss.

 

Oh yah i added 2 tablespoons MBP as @MrFooey mentioned

 

Mix char 50/50 with compost, let it sit for a week or two and it's ready to use.

 

Ok. I will just do that. Lol. I mixed this post up with another using search. Didnt mean to reply on this one.

 

Something just broke through the haze in my head ...I have a wood burning furnace that there is always char in the ashes and I've been just dumping them out in my field for the last few years. Would they be considered charged if'n I was to go out collecting them in the field? (edit: and should I was the ash off of them?)

 

if they are just laying in the field i wouldn't consider them charged. but you can most definitely use them! and yes to washing the ash off.

 

So while my compost pile is being built using 3 year old leaves, sticks and yard rakings along with 4 year old grass clippings (plus a bit of kitchen compost that has been running for 4 years), what would be my best bet to charge my biochar? Use a cheap bagged compost/manure mix or go all out with some Bu's?

 

why not just throw it in your pile?

 

Because I need it in the next week or two for my next few batches of no-till soil. The wife just gave me permission to take over a 10x10 bedroom for growing in!!