Biochar -- anyone using it?

SoloNoMo · February 15, 2013

Just wondering if anyone out there has worked Biochar into their garden. I've just been to a lecture on it by a rep from Bartlett Tree and saw a demo of application to an established tree last summer. I want to give it a try in the vegetable garden and looking for a local source (mid-Atlantic).
In case you haven't heard of it, Biochar is a charcoal produced anaerobically (as I understand, but I'm in no way a chemist!) that stays stable in the soil (hundreds of years) and greatly improves fertility. It also seems to have some ability to reduce pests (fungal and insect). The natives of Amazonia have been using this to greatly improve their soils for centuries -- "terra preta" is the name for these soils.
Oh, and it also does a great job sequestering carbon, too!
Anyone?

February 15, 2013	#1
SoloNoMo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Falls Church, VA Posts: 12	Biochar -- anyone using it? Just wondering if anyone out there has worked Biochar into their garden. I've just been to a lecture on it by a rep from Bartlett Tree and saw a demo of application to an established tree last summer. I want to give it a try in the vegetable garden and looking for a local source (mid-Atlantic). In case you haven't heard of it, Biochar is a charcoal produced anaerobically (as I understand, but I'm in no way a chemist!) that stays stable in the soil (hundreds of years) and greatly improves fertility. It also seems to have some ability to reduce pests (fungal and insect). The natives of Amazonia have been using this to greatly improve their soils for centuries -- "terra preta" is the name for these soils. Oh, and it also does a great job sequestering carbon, too! Anyone?