| Author | Content |
sallyg
Anne Arundel,, MD (Zone 7a)
October 8, 2008 12:43 PM Post #5646367
| How interesting. I hadn't heard of this. But again, seems like we find so many natural processes are the way to go. Think of the 'biochar' that used to be created by small wildfires in N America.
About how much did you pay for your cowboy charcoal?
|
darius
So.App.Mtns.
United States (Zone 5b)
October 8, 2008 12:58 PM Post #5646408
| I paid something under $5 at least 3 years ago... but I saw it in Lowe's just 2 days ago for around $6-$7. |
Pamgarden
Central, VA (Zone 7b)
October 8, 2008 2:01 PM Post #5646637
| Darius, Thank you for all the reading and investingating you do for us. I always enjoy your articles and intend to consider this as an amendment to my garden beds.
Pam |
darius
So.App.Mtns.
United States (Zone 5b)
October 8, 2008 2:29 PM Post #5646744
| Thanks, Pam. I hope to see a big improvement in the growth of the fruit bushes I transplanted yesterday with some biochar. Also, I'm tilling in a bunch before putting my veggie bed to rest for the winter. |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB (Zone 3a)
October 8, 2008 3:32 PM Post #5647004
| Very interesting. I've never heard of using this before now but my soil is on the alkaline side so I'm not sure that it would be good for me. I'll wait for more research. Thanks Darius. |
carrielamont
Euless, TX (Zone 8a)
October 8, 2008 3:36 PM Post #5647018
| I appreciate your research into things I never would have thought of! Thank you, Darius. I have quite a store of ideas to try! |
pajaritomt
Los Alamos, NM (Zone 5a)
October 8, 2008 4:42 PM Post #5647327
| This is a very interesting article. Gardenmermaid had sent me an article on this right after Hurricane Katrina because I had so much down timber. But it sounded difficult and expensive to buy the necessary equipment.
Anything you can find that will show me how to make biochar more easily would be very helpful. The farm is covered with timber and there are always down trees and limbs. It would be wonderful if I could use them in such an environmentally friendly way. The only way we can dispose of them now is by burning which I really hate to do, but it is important to clean up down wood for several reasons.
Alkalinity would be a plus on my farm -- the soil is very acid. |
garden_mermaid
San Francisco Bay Ar, CA (Zone 9b)
October 9, 2008 6:05 AM Post #5649928
| darius, thank you for keeping the biochar topic on the radar!
I'm trying to find the link...there was a website with a photo series of someone making biochar in the backyard. They had inserted the perforated basket from a washing machine into a hole in the ground, then lit the fire, then used the lid from a weber grill over that hole to make the charcoal. The weber grill lid had a vent to control air flow. If I ever find that site again, I'll post it here for you. |
darius
So.App.Mtns.
United States (Zone 5b)
October 9, 2008 12:45 PM Post #5650373
| Thanks... I have that link, and several others including some videos, for making biochar. What I want to make is a retort burner that burns the off-gases as fuel rather than becoming atmospheric waste.
I also want to enlist someone who does bokashi to do some experiments... |
garden_mermaid
San Francisco Bay Ar, CA (Zone 9b)
October 9, 2008 5:18 PM Post #5651479
| Ooooh! Do keep us posted on this experiment. Sounds wonderful.
Hopefully I can manifest a home with an attached yard soon so I can help you with the experiments. |
