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Little-TON - Colorado

Since I have a wood burning fireplace, I take advantage of creating my own biochar. When I clean up, Ill sift out the burnt pieces and toss them in my front and only patch. Been doing a lot of soil building in that patch, to hopefully grow in this year. Any others do something like this?

1/23/2025 10:34:35 AM

Grittyville, WA

Its weird stuff. I dont think it adds nutrients, but it does seems to improve soil health. Good microbes enjoy living around it. It might not grow a bigger pumpkin, but I bet it cuts down on disease problems?!

1/23/2025 12:09:14 PM

Seattle, WA

Wizzy, I don't know if what you're making is actually biochar, it's probably more of an ash product. Biochar requires pyrolization, which is high heat but also low oxygen conditions. You can make a biochar retort or even dig a pit. There's some good resources online if interested. Hope that helps! (Biochar is awesome!)

1/30/2025 4:10:14 PM

East Sussex, UK

I have made and used biochar. I know Mehdi Daho in France uses biochar and he has grown some monsters. It's a one time addition so you don't have to keep adding it every year like with other amendments.

1/31/2025 8:55:04 AM

Sault Ste Marie, MI 49783

Anyone know how much biochar it would take to amend 1000sqft

1/31/2025 11:37:12 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Guys, some early research indicates biochar stimulates a systemic acquired response in vegetable plants that promotes pathogen protection from soil and air airborne harmful fungi. Theory is in the soil it triggers a genetic protectionary switch.. Trees are know to have these latent and hidden natural DNA switches that can be turned on and off by nature under certain extreme conditions to fend off insects.

3/27/2025 6:19:29 AM

Ontario, Canada.

One 2022 study proposed using biochar inoculated with Trichoderma to manage soilborne plant pathogens.

3/27/2025 6:48:54 AM