Curious about biochar and its benefits? Learn what biochar is, how to use it effectively, and why choosing top-quality biochar makes a difference. We also explain what super compost is, how to make it at home, and how Soilfixer SF60 works as a powerful super soil improver. Whether you want healthier plants, richer soil, or more sustainable gardening methods, this guide covers everything you need to know.

How to Activate and Inoculate Biochar

How to Activate and Inoculate Biochar

How do I activate and inoculate biochar?

There are four main methods

  1. Soak the biochar in a dilute solution of liquid fertiliser for 1-3 days before use.
  2. Mix the biochar with compost – leave it to stand for 6-12 weeks
  3. Mix the biochar into the soil, leave it at least 3, preferably six months before planting
  4. Add the biochar to your green waste and compost for 3-18 months – add the biochar compost to the soil

Method 4 has always been the SoilFixer recommended process. We make our Biochar Super Compost (SF60) this way using our biocharcompost humification agent (CHA).

Why does biochar need activating?

Think of biochar as a dry ‘sponge’ – it wants to (and needs to!)  absorb water and plant nutrients. Once done, soil microbes will associate with the biochar and begin working to transfer nutrients to the plant roots.

If you put raw biochar in your soil, it will take up water and nutrients from the soil until it is full. This can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months. During this time, the plant’s roots are competing with biochar and it can be detrimental to plant growth. We call this the biochar lag period.

You can quickly activate biochar by soaking it in a liquid feed – see below.

Note: if you prefer to buy ready to use, activated biochar – please look at our SF60, Biochar Super Compost

Why does biochar need inoculating with microbes?

Once the ‘sponge’ is full of water and nutrients, it is potentially a safe home for beneficial soil microbes. The walls of the biochar protect against attack. The ‘sponge’  has lots of areas full of nutrients. The microbes live in and close to the biochar. forming symbiotic relationships with plant roots and exchanging nutrients (NPKs) for sugar (which the plants make via photosynthesis).

A number of biochar producers focus on biochar properties like its ability to absorb nutrients. Absorption increases with surface area, hence they focus on making ultra-fine powders. Our testing leads us to believe lots of “biological sized pores” are the defining feature of biochar that works well and biochars that do not.   This is why we only use wood biochar. We grade it all into fine granules of less than 8mm to maximize the biological properties.

How do bacteria get into the biochar pores?

Bacteria have no legs. They can be carried in flowing water. Getting them into the biochar can take 3-6 months, or you can inoculate the biochar with a range of soil microbes. The simplest and easiest method of inoculation is to put your biochar into the compost heap and use the resulting biochar super compost.

Table of activation and inoculation options for biochar

Soak Slurry Soil Make Compost Super Compost
Tools Bucket, watering can Bucket, watering can Soil, raised bed Compost bin None
Materials Bag of biochar, liquid feed (tomato, Miracle-Gro ™, comfrey tea, seaweed, etc) Compost, biochar Soil, biochar Green waste, biochar or CHA Compost waste, CHA or biochar
How Drop biochar into the bucket. Dilute liquid feed as recommended in the watering can. Add diluted liquid feed into the bucket. Leave it to soak for 3 hours, preferably 24 hours.

Dig biochar into soil

 Add 10 cm (3 inches) layer of compost into wheelbarrow. Add a bucket of water. Mix to create a slurry. Add a bag of biochar, mix well into the slurry. Leave 24 hours, preferably 3 days. Dig biochar into soil. Ratio 2-5Kg/m2 Sprinkle CHA onto green waste Buy SF60
Benefits
Absorbs water yes yes yes yes
Absorbs Nutrients yes yes yes yes
Inoculates with microbes no yes yes yes
Timeframe 1 day 1 day 3-6 months 3-12 months

Which nutrient feed should I use with raw biochar?

This is down to personal choice.  It can be an organic feed such as liquid comfrey, seaweed, compost slurry or a liquid feed commercially available such as tomato feed, MiracleGro ™, etc.

Should I add mycorrhizal fungi (MF, AMF)?

The association of plant roots with mycorrhizal fungi happens with an estimated 80% of all plant species. This symbiotic relationship is seen as essential to good healthy plant growth. Opinions are split on how best to achieve this. Some biochar vendors are adamant about the need to add AMF powders and solutions to biochar. Others are just as adamant that adding AMF is not needed. We see this as a more nuanced approach based on your situation.

The benefits of applying AMF relate to how AMF work in the soil.  Healthy soils already have AMF spores present in the soil. When plants germinate, they release hormones that ‘activate’ the AMF to start growing. Hence, most soils really do not need additional AMF spores.

If your soil is very poor and has not seen any plant growth for years, adding AMF spores would seem sensible.

However, mycorrhizal fungi are best used at the point of planting as they attach to the roots of the plants. Dispersing a tiny quantity of AMF spores into a large volume of soil may not provide any noticeable results as the roots might not come into contact with the dispersed spores.

There are many professional growing situations where the arguments around ‘risk and certainty’ change how AMF could be used.

At SoilFixer, we do not routinely add AMF to our products like Biochar Super Compost (SF60). But our Biochar Super Compost has been through the composting process so is rich in all sorts of microbes found in soil.

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Spring Lawn Care

Spring Lawn Care

You may have already made the first lawn cut of the year, if you haven’t, start with a high blade and gradually reduce over the weeks to your preferred height. If your lawn is prone to moss and weeds, here we will explain how our biochar granules and SF60 super compost can help.

Tackling weeds and moss really depends on your individual approach, there is a wide variety of weed and moss killers on the market, both chemical based and a numbe of effective treatments that use natural ingredients. You can also remove them manually but this can take some time and unless you remove the entire root, which is difficult with weeds siuch as dandelions, they are sure to return within no time at all.

Once you have weeds and moss under control, there’s a few additional things you need to check for including:

  • Poor drainage leading to water logging – if you have to add drainage pipes, while dug out, add biochar
  • Compact soil leading to poor aeration and drainage – if you spike or cut out aeration plugs, back fill with 0-2mm biochar (Professional golf greens are using biochar for this)
  • Too acidic – off course a light coating of lime is the norm. Buit Biochar has a Ph of 9.5 and it will also help reduce acidity. The increased microbial activity will also improve the root health as biofilms provide a protected neutral zone
  • Lack of feed – SF60 will provide short and long term nutrients
  • Too close cutting – leave extra 2cm height on grass

How can SoilFixer products help as a top dressing?

SF60 is already sieved to below 15mm and has less twigs and small bits of organic matter than a traditional compost. It tends to work in well feeding the grass. Long term the biochar elements will work down into the root zone and form interactions with soil microbes resulting in improved grass growth. Simply sprinkle across the lawn.

 

Biochar 0-2mm is easy to spread and rake in. We recommend spreading biochar and then a granular fertiliser. Top tip: remember – if the lawn is close to the house and has a lot of footfall back into the house, take extra steps to water and flush biochar into the soil. Otherwise, you will have black carbon footprints in the house!

 

Biochar 0-8mm particles are too big to use as a top dressing. If you are planning on re-laying the lawn, rake Biochar 0-8mm in soil bed – it will help drainage and aeration as well as improve root health and grass vigour. (Spread 1 Kg/m2).

More biochar lawn care article from us

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Biochar mitigates (offsets) climate change

Biochar mitigates (offsets) climate change

Biochar mitigates climate change

Every gardener and farmer can help offset (mitigate) climate change by adding biochar or biochar super compost (SF60) to their soil.

1Kg of biochar carbon offsets 3.6 Kg CO2*

In this blog, we explore how biochar is used to mitigate climate change. The role of biochar in terms of soil carbon, compost, humus, and soil organic matter.

Earlier this year a national climate emergency was announced by the UK government and the United Nations says we have ‘just 11 years left to limit a climate catastrophe’. These are certainly worrying times but there are lots of changes we can make in our gardens that can reduce your personal carbon footprint by growing some fruit and vegetables, composting, using fewer chemicals and plastic, the list goes on. Here at SoilFixer we talk about the benefits of making your own compost a lot and how adding colloidal humus and biochar can help enrich it, biochar not only provided a multitude of benefits for plants, it also plays an important role in reducing carbon by simply adding it to the soil.

 

There is ongoing research and development that is looking at all sorts of sequestration options and soil is one option. If we add 1Kg of soil carbon we offset 3.6Kg CO2. All the earth’s soils have the ability to store more carbon. Estimates range from the ability to offset 10-20% of all global emissions – that is potentially a huge dent in the target.

Naturally occurring soil carbon

Soil Scientists use the terms Soil Organic Matter (SOM) and Soil Carbon (roughly 50% of the total SOM figure). These terms include all organic-Carbon. For locking up carbon in soil (ie mitigating climate change), only those forms of Soil carbon that are resistant to biodegradation are helpful. Only a tiny amount of the plant organic matter that enters the soils forms into recalcitrant, resistant to decay carbon. This fraction is usually termed the humic fraction. (Note humus to soil scientists does not mean well-matured compost!)

Storing carbon in soil already happens, it is a natural process, it does not need and ‘new technology’, it just needs everyone and every farmer to understand that it is a viable option because every time we dig over our gardens we reduce the amount of nutrients stored in the soil and carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere; this happens on a huge scale in farming and agriculture. There are a few changes that can be made to prevent SOM/Soil Carbon decline such as considering using the no-dig  / no-till method, making your own compost and adding it to the soil regularly.

Compost and soil carbon

Compost is biodegradable. Only a tiny fraction (estimated at <1%) forms into long-term soil carbon. (take-away tip: adding lots of compost to your soil will NOT increase your soil-carbon. It is estimated that it would take 20-50 years to re-build soil using compost and organic matter). Unfortunately, this fact led soil carbon sequestration not being on the early lists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) lists of urgent technologies to investigate. Thanks to the hard work from various biochar organisations such as the IBI and EBC this situation has been updated and biochar is now on the list.

Biochar and Soil Carbon

Biochar is non-biodegradable so it has the ability to remain in the soil for hundreds, if not thousands of years. It can also play a huge role in reducing our carbon footprints: every 1kg of biochar can offset 1Kg of carbon, ie 3.6Kg of carbon dioxide. Why isn’t everyone covering their gardens with it and farmers using it on their fields? It is expensive to produce and therefore expensive to buy (in large quantities). The solution to this is to do a little bit every year to lessen the financial strain, not will your soil be healthier but plants and edibles will benefit too whilst you help reduce climate change.

For those looking for a really in-depth review of biochar versus other off-setting technology, we recommend reading the European Biochar Initiative white paper via this link

The biochar industry has been advocating that increasing soil carbon can be achieved in 1 year via biochar….

* Please note: the actual offset for each biochar will depend on the % carbon content. Our biochar is 85% carbon. Some biochars can be as low as 60%, some as high as 95%. We then have to consider “permanence” – how long does the biochar stay in the soil. After a long discussion period, the biochar organization (EBC, IBI) has agreed with IPCC that the hydrogen to organic carbon ratio (H/Corg) will be used to determine the volume of carbon at 100 years. A considerable safety buffer has been built into the calculation, and again the H/C will vary by vendor. Our biochar comes out at 85% retention at 100 years.    If you wanted to formally claim Offsets (sequestration) funds, the accurate calculation would be 3.67Kg*0.85 (%C) *0.85 (100 yr H/C) = 2.65 Kg CO2e offset).

Biochar Super Compost (SF60) and Soil Carbon

Although it is still early days around testing and evidence… SF60 (our mix of compost (40%), biochar (20%) and colloidal humus (40%) is looking promising as a new type of sequestration technology. The colloidal humus appears to be resistant to biodegradation (in our tests > 50 years). By increasing the amount of colloidal humus from 1% in compost to 40% in SF60, we increase the amount of carbon in soil. Those quick on the maths will spot that biochar has just become a lot more cost-effective. (We achieve 60% of the impact using 20% of the cost. (0.2/0.6 = 0.33, ie x3 more cost-effective).

Where does our compost humification fit in?

If you are home composting – then add the humification agent to your compost. Not only will you add biochar, but you will also make colloidal humus. Both offset your carbon footprint. And of course, you have a great organic, natural soil improver that will increase yield and flowers (20% more) as well as support plant health and resistance to drought.

  • 1 Kg Biochar offsets 1 Kg Carbon, ie 3.6Kg CO2e
  • 1 Kg SF60 potential* to offset 1Kg CO2e (figures updated 18/09/20)

(* Our tests indicate this, but we recognise the tests have yet to be validated by an external independent body).

You can buy our Humification Agent, Biochars and SF60 Super Compost here.

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Which biochar should you buy

Which biochar should you buy?

This blog looks at different grades of biochar and the benefits they can bring to soil health and to the garden.

Basic Biochar

We champion the 0-13mm granules as the “basic” (standard) grade of raw biochar.

Wood-based biochar granules around 0.5 to 2mm work best, with 13mm being the largest. Which is good because this happens to fit well with industry-standard sieving and grading machines!

 

We opt for wood as the core material because not only does it generate biochar with pores – it generates biochar with a range of pores – know as macro, meso and micro pores. If you compare the pores sizes to the typical size of microbes and fungi – then it is a small step to link the medium and large pores acting like walls and home, protecting the microbes from predators.

Biochar acts like a sponge collecting nutrients from the surrounding soil. If added “raw” to the soil, it can take a few weeks or months to become inoculated with nutrients, water and beneficial microbes. During this period it has been shown to hinder growth. Biochar suppliers, therefore, recommend biochar is inoculated (activated or charged) before use.

How do we make the raw standard wood-based biochar better?

Better Biochar – activated

“Raw” biochar should be activated (i.e. enriched, inoculated, charged) before use. There are several methods of achieving this: soaking biochar in liquid fertilisers, mixing it with solid fertilisers or combining it with compost. (By fertilisers we mean macro plant nutrients (nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus). The source could be natural organic (e.g. chicken poo pellets, bone meal, seaweed) or man-made chemical fertilisers.

If we think of biochar as a sponge, this type of “charging” fills the biochar pores with water and attaches the nutrient molecules to the active carbon sites in the biochar. An analogy would be a full kitchen of food ready for making meals (in our case a meal for the plant roots).

How do we make the best biochar?

BEST BIOCHAR

There is no doubt that biochar added to soil provides a huge number of benefits. Biochar mixed with compost and or fertiliser nutrients work faster and avoid some issues. However, we and others (e.g. Hans Peter Schmidt) have found that when biochar is added to the composting process and the resulting compost-biochar matrix is used – then the biochar works even better.

Why does Biochar Super Compost work better?

Specific types of biochar-humus matrix actively support symbiotic rootzone soil microbes. These symbiotic root zone microbes and fungi dramatically improve plant growth and plant health.

Through careful choice of biochar added to the compost and careful control of the composting process to produce colloidal humus – we get Biochar Super Compost. In our process, we increase the beneficial colloidal humus from 2% to 20%. Colloidal humus is a super sponge:

  • it can absorb x10 own weight water (versus x2 in soil and compost)
  • it has a higher affinity for adsorbing nutrients (CEC 600 vs 20 in soil)
  • it is sticky – it aggregates soil particles into tilth which improves water and oxygen movement to the roots.

We have suggested the real success of biochar is related to increased colloidal humus. We call this biochar-humus matrix “Biochar Super Compost” (SF60).

It would be wonderful for us if all gardeners bought and used SF60. Many gardeners do not buy fertilisers or compost – they recycle and make their own organic compost/fertiliser by composting garden waste.

By adding the biochar super compost agent (aka the compost humification agent) home composters can make SF60 – in 90 days with a hot composting system or 9-12 months if using a ‘cold’ composting dalek or wood pallet box.

The steps below summarise the basic, better best and matches these to our products that can help you.

  • Raw biochar added to soil
  • BC charged with liquid nutrients then added to soil
  • BC mixed with compost then added to soil
  • BC added to green waste, composted and the compost/BC mix is then added to soil
  • Biochar Super Compost Agent (aka compost humification agent) added to green waste, composted and resulting biochar super compost added to soil

This article very much looks at the performance of biochars. Many people will of course also be interested in the environmental impact and sustainability of the biochar source. You can read more about these aspects at our sustainable biochars blog.

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Biochar - The non-starters

Biochar: The non-starters

Followers of SoilFixer will be aware we are passionate about producing biochar that really improves plant health and growth. However, not all biochars are equal. In this guide, we rule out some “non-starter” biochars to be aware of.

Next week we will guide you through the different biochar options to help you to achieve the very best soil improvement and enhance plant and vegetable growing results in 2019.

Biochar – the ‘non-starters’

During our time producing and testing biochar in its different forms we have built up a great deal of knowledge that we can share with our customers and it has also led us to be able to form our own opinions, these opinions may not be universally supported by the biochar industry but they do come from our first-hand experience.

For many years SoilFixer has advised against using:

  • Large biochar granules (>10mm)
  • Fine amorphous biochar powders

Gardeners remove stones and pebbles because they affect root growth and hinder soil aggregation and tilth, big lumps of biochar have exactly the same effect. The key benefits of biochar relate to pores and surface area – a large lump effectively blocks entry to essential microbes and root hairs. Therefore we recommend avoiding this type as it will not provide the real benefits that a finer texture can provide.

We also rule out powders and “activated carbon powders”. Powders can be tricky to work with and apply. The core issue with fine amorphous powders is that they do not have the surface area to contain the beneficial pores that make biochar so special

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Are SoilFixer products organic

Are SoilFixer products organic?

Are SoilFixer products organic?

The answer is yes.

But for those conversant with the organic movement lingo and legislation, we need to explain the difference between an organic product and inputs for use in an organic growing system.

Recently our friends at Garden Organic blogged about the new EU legislation covering organic production and labelling (EU 2018/848). We thought it timely to give an overview of how the legislation affects SoilFixer.

Can we label SoilFixer products as “organic”

No – this is because the legislation defines an organic product as the output from an “organic production system” (think farm, grower) destined for human consumption (for example, in the photo, labelling apples are organic).

The relevant question for SoilFixer customers is:

Can SoilFixer products be used in an organic growing system?

Yes – 100%! Our products come under the definition of an “external input”. For an “external input” to be used in an organic growing it must be “natural or derived from a natural substance” (see Article 5, para (g), (ii and iii)). Biochar, our compost humification agent and SF60 are all derived from natural materials – i.e. wood and green waste composting systems.

Note: the organic grower has to demonstrate that any external input is necessary and conforms to the overall principles of organic growing.

The core principles of organic growing  (Article 6, para (a))

  • Maintain or enhance soil life
  • Maintain or enhance natural soil fertility
  • Enhance soil stability
  • Help with water retention
  • Enhance or maintain soil biology
  • Prevent the loss of soil organic matter (SOM)
  • Prevent soil compaction
  • Prevent soil erosion
  • Provide nutrients through the natural soil ecosystem

A quick look at the biochar, compost activator and SF60 product information will confirm that our products supports ALL the core principles.

They also qualify under Article 6 para (c): “inputs from recycling waste plant and animal system”.

Are SoilFixer products accredited for Organic growing, eg via the Soil Association?

No, not at this stage. The accreditation schemes seek to audit that your production system meets the organic definitions and you follow the rules.

To date, most customers have been happy to use the product specification and details of production as evidence. EU2018/848 seeks to enhance the evidence within the whole organic supply chain.

We will monitor the situation as it may become easier to prove this via a badge.

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Biochar for Golf Greens and Garden Lawns

Biochar for Golf Greens and Garden Lawns

Enrich and Recover Golf and Garden Lawns

We have used SF60 super compost (a mix of activated biochar and humus) on our domestic garden lawn for a couple of years and have found it helps deepen the green colour, and it also seems to help prevent moss on our heavy clay lawn. It also helps with recovery of brown patches caused by pet poo/urine and over use of weedkiller!

You may also like our related blog – How to compost grass and make your own super compost (SF60).

Earlier this y

ear, we had an enquiry from a golf course in Scotland for large quantity of biochar for use on the greens.

2014 Lawn Grass with and without Super Compost SoilFixer

Lawn Repair SF60 SoilFixer

The opportunity

Green keeping is expensive and a highly-skilled task supported by professional courses and qualifications. Many golf greens are built from scratch to rigorous standards. The goal is to achieve the right combination of surface hardness/softness, speed of play, surface smoothness, resistance to wear and the desire to keep a perfect green open as long as possible – not quite “all weather” but as close as.

The high percentage of sand used in the soil mix tends to lead to rapid fertiliser leaching and run off. Biochar offers the opportunity to improve greens; it holds nutrients, is porous and does not compact.

Although biochar can be applied as a top dressing, ideally you need to get the biochar down into the root zone. Here the microbes will inhabit the biochar and form symbiotic relationships with the roots – i.e. the microbes transfer nutrients to the roots and the roots in exchange transfer sugars (food energy) to the microbes.

Problem

How to get the biochar down to the root zone. Some green keepers have tried to brush it into the aeration drill holes made as a normal part of the early season preparation work.

We had a call back in February from a green keeper in Scotland who had tried this, but the large lumps (mainly 25mm) supplied by a competitor just did not fall into the holes – they blocked them.

Solution

We have biochar for sale on our online store and suggested they try our new premium grade 0-2mm fine granule. We caught up with Graham recently to hear the application had worked. We are now looking forward to the end of season when we can review the overall benefits.

Next steps

Ideally we would like one of the big lawn testing facilities to test biochar and SF60. We will be working to reach out to the professional bodies and experts consultants such as:

  • SAPCA (Sport and Play Construction Association)
  • RIPTA
  • Institute of Groundsmanship
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Biochar for trees and woodlands

Biochar for trees and woodlands

How to use biochar for healthier trees and woodlands

As many as a third of all new trees planted are likely to die within the first two years (reported via Independent and other studies). Many mature specimen trees of local and national importance are suffering health issues due to compacted soil. Many urban trees suffer disease and pest issues due to soil conditions limiting the tree’s ability to fight off disease and pests. In this article, we answer questions about how biochar is being used by professional trees specialists (arboriculturists) and woodland managers to help solve these tree problems.

Uses of biochar with trees

  • Adding biochar to the root zone of older specimen trees revitalises growth by reducing soil compaction and poor nutrient availability.
  • Adding biochar into the planting hole or pot to help new tree rootstock to thrive and avoid disease
  • Using biochar to help establish a ‘woodland soil ecosystem’ in a prior meadow or cultivated land soil ecosystems.

How does biochar help improve tree health?

We handle the wider topic of how biochar works in our full article on biochar. In summary, it helps trees by:

•    The carbon adsorbs nutrients acting as a reservoir for plant nutrients.
•    The biochar is porous and holds both air and water.
•    The granules do not compress, so it aids irrigation and airflow to the roots.
•    It acts as a ‘home’ for beneficial microbes and fungi. These form symbiotic relationships with root hairs and dramatically increase the uptake of nutrients.
•    The biochar does not decompose, so it lasts hundreds of years.

Biochar works best when it is in and around the root zone.

Mature specimen tree care using biochar, reducing tree soil compaction using biochar

A specimen tree could be anything from the glorious cherry tree that blossoms each spring, the Acer full of colour in Autumn to the ancient oak that has stood in the village for hundreds of years. If you are entrusted with the care of a special and often irreplaceable tree; care is needed.

The more mature the tree, the more likely health issues will be related to soil compaction which leads to problems with water infiltration, nutrient availability and aeration. This leads to stresses that limit tree health and makes them more vulnerable to disease, drought and waterlogging. The early evidence is biochar can help revitalise trees, so it is worth considering.

Biochar can be a significant help – but the solution needs to be down in the root zone.

A range of innovative solutions to get biochar into the tree root zone has pooped up in recent years. These include using air-spadesto remove all the soil and then putting it back. There is also an advanced form of air injection to drill holes and backfill the hole with biochar (e.g. the Vogt injector supplied in the UK via Apex Tree solutions). A high-pressure drill hole is made 1m deep and then 100 psi air is pushed down. This breaks up the soil. The voids created are then backfilled with porous biochar enriched with nutrients. There are even more complex multiple drill systems such as the Ecosol Drill ‘n’ fill machine.

In all cases – you are looking to avoid damaging the main roots. Most projects start in the active root zone – a circle around the drip zone of the leaf canopy.  If you are going closer to the trunk – drill slowly and watch out for any signs of white wood coming out with soil. If this happens, stop immediately and move the drill hole by 30 cm.

Improving tree planting success rates – biochar for new trees

Whether you are planting just one tree or many hundreds, the cost can be anywhere from £10-£300 / tree. As many as one-third of new trees are lost in the first couple of years. Giving them the very best start on planting is justified.

Dig the planting hole and then mix 10-20% by volume of biochar into the backfill soil before using it to backfill the planting hole. You can reduce the cost by adding a thin (1-2cm) layer in the base of the planting hole – but the effect will also be less. DO not get tempted to add more than 20%. Biochar affects soil texture – too much will start to impede rather than help growth.

Barcam have some great hints and tips on planting new trees

Biochar for 3-10-year-old woodlands

Over the past 10 years, there has been and continues to be planting of new woodlands.  A lot of these have been sponsored via one of the various Woodland Trust schemes.

There are some cases of top dressing by simply broadcast spreading biochar– but the benefits are going to be less than getting to the root zone.

Often these new woodlands will have 100-1000 trees. All fairly small and tightly packed (pending thinning). Not easy to get equipment in and around, and very labour intensive to do in via single drill holes. We think there is some scope to investigate re-using equipment designed for golf lawn care (e.g. the Ecosol Drill ‘n’ fill). These machines tend to be smaller and drill multiple holes. We will monitor for reviews and feedback.

New Woodlands – soil ecosystems

Quite often new woodlands are planted in grassland (meadows) or previously cultivated arable plots. We often see a grass field drilled and planted with saplings plus a stake and a green plastic shield.

This reminds us of the advice from a former colleague who was trained in permaculture. Soil ecosystems adapt to support the plants living on them, Hence grass and weeds have different fungi and microbes to woodland soils.  Planting trees in a meadow leaves trees roots in competition to the grassroots. We recommend tree planting of this type is supplemented with WOODLAND specific strains on mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)

There are many articles about the use of wood chips to help new woodlands.  A good article on the types of wood chip and their uses is presented by Linda Chalker-Scott. Whilst a lot of the focus is on water retention and preventing weed growth, we think there might be another benefit.

We are passionate that biochar supports soil microbes and fungi. It may well be the biggest effect they have is to support symbiotic fungi and give them an advantage because the porous structure gives them a defensive wall against predators that would otherwise eat them. If we extend this argument – well-rotted wood chip (at least six months old – do not use the raw new wood chip for mulching – it will hold onto your soil nitrogen) will have wood-based fungi. You are spreading a forest floor ecosystem that supports trees rather than grass.

We have a case study for biochar/compost/soil for urban forests using the Miyawaki method – link

Activating biochar

Don’t forget, raw biochar will adsorb and hold plant nutrients. This is what you want to happen as the soil microbes then inhabit the biochar and form symbiotic relationships with roots to transfer the nutrients to the plants.

However, to prevent short-term leaching of soil nutrients from the soil (and hence temporarily reducing availability to plant roots), you need to activate the biochar. Activation really just means filling up the adsorption sites with nutrients. This can be achieved by soaking the biochar in a dilute liquid NKP solution or by mixing the biochar with compost and leaving it to rest for a few weeks.

(Note SoilFixer has a proprietary method and product for activated biochar – SF60 Our biochar super compost. We mix the biochar into the green waste with trace minerals allow it to compost under controlled conditions. The SF60 has a high % of colloidal humus. The humus accumulates in and around the biochar, not only activating it but radically changing the water retention and CEC properties. We call the activation agent our ‘compost humification agent’ and the resulting product is called SF60 Super Compost /Soil Improver.

Some case studies

Dr Glynn Percival: biochar helps prevent ash die-back. (As featured on BBC Countryfile)

Mattias Gustafsson: use of biochar to revitalise urban trees in Stockholm Biochar Project.

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What is Amazonian Dark Earth (ADE) also known as Terra Preta

What is Amazonian Dark Earth (ADE) also known as Terra Preta

Introduction

Amazonian Dark Earth (ADE) also known as Terra Preta (‘black soil’ in Portuguese), is highly fertile ancient man-made soil found in areas of the Amazon basin. With its exceptional fertility, scientists have been studying ADE in the hope of recreating the long-lost recipe for use in modern agricultural soils.

In this article, we delve into the mysteries of ADE and explore the role of biochar in recreating its soil magic.

What is Amazonian Dark Earth (ADE) or Terra Preta?

ADE, also known as Terra Preta, refers to the remarkably fertile soils found in the Amazon basin. These soils have captivated scientists who seek to understand their unique composition and reproduce their fertility in contemporary agriculture.

Recreating the Fertility of ADE

While some scientists believe it will take centuries to recreate ADE soils. Tony, a passionate advocate disagrees. He firmly believes we can achieve success in a single growing season, just as our ancestors did.

Introducing Biochar to Create Amazonian Dark Earth

To convert your local soil into Amazonian Dark Earth:

These biochar products offer a modern approach to replicating the exceptional fertility of ADE.

This is the iconic image of ADE:

The typical forest soil is on the left and the black, super fertile soil is on the right.

Unveiling the Dark Secret of ADE

Scientific studies reveal that the dark color of ADE is attributed to charcoal present in the soil. The practice of adding charcoal to these soils dates back over 2,000 years. ADE patches vary in size and can be found across extensive areas, resembling numerous small farms.

The Age of Terra Preta

Amazonian Dark Earth is estimated to be between 1000 and 2000 years old. Its ancient origins have fascinated researchers who continue to explore its secrets.

Understanding the Secrets of ADE’s Fertility

The key to ADE’s exceptional fertility lies in its unique characteristics of two components:

The Role of Charcoal, or Biochar:

Biocahr is a crucial component of Terra Preta. Biochar is a form of charcoal specifically produced to enhance soil using sustainable and environmentally sound techniques. Its porous structure provides a habitat for soil microbes and helps decrease soil acidity. Biochar can also slowly release nutrients when soaked in nutrient-rich liquid.  For more detail about biochar, see our ‘What is biochar‘ blog.

The Role of Humus:

Another vital aspect of Terra Preta’s fertility is its significantly higher level of Humus (in the Soil Organic Matter (SOM) compared to the surrounding soils. While the surrounding soils have around 3-5% SOM, ADE boasts an impressive 10% SOM. This high humus in the SOM content contributes to the long-term sustainability of soil fertility.

Cracking the Recipe for ADE

The ancient recipe for Terra Preta is lost to time, but researchers have made progress in replicating its fertility. Adding biochar alone has yielded inconsistent results while combining charcoal and compost has shown more promise. However, compost alone does not provide a lasting increase in soil fertility. The missing link lies in understanding how the stable humus fraction of soil organic matter is enhanced within ADE.

A Hypothesis on the Creation of Amazonian Dark Earth

Considering the value of charcoal as fuel, it seems improbable that our ancestors used it extensively in soil improvement. Instead, a hypothesis suggests that the fertility of ADE was derived from “midans,” which were toilet pits filled with waste materials like clay pots, bones, fire ash (fire ash contains around 50% charcoal), and food waste. These pits acted as compost heaps and the resulting compost, rich in humus, was spread on agricultural plots based on observations of the cause and effect of plants growing on and around the midans. The missing part of the Amazonian Dark Earth (Terra Preta) recipe (based on our work) is the need for a humification agent in the composting process.

Making Terra Preta (ADE) today

Recreating Terra Preta is indeed possible within a single year or growing season. To achieve this, create Biochar Super compost by incorporating SoilFixer Colloidal Humification Agent into your composting process. Then add 10-20% by volume of the resulting “Biochar Super Compost” to your soil. For more information on “how to make Terra Preta” follow this link.

Conclusion

The ancient mysteries of the Amazonian Dark Earth continue to captivate scientists and enthusiasts alike. By understanding the significance of biochar and humus-rich composting methods, we can strive to recreate the remarkable fertility of Terra Preta. Unlock the secrets of ADE, experiment with biochar, and embark on a journey toward sustainable soil fertility and bountiful harvests.

Note: This article serves as a general guide to the concepts of Amazonian Dark Earth and biochar. For detailed instructions and assistance, reach out to our team for more information.

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Giant Sunflowers using biochar super compost

Giant Sunflowers using biochar super compost

Giant sunflowers are grown using biochar super compost

We planted our sunflowers (Russian Giant) into the test beds very late this year, in early August, after the Charlotte potatoes came out. The thinking was simple; sunflowers need lots of water and nutrients and they will really test the different soil additive mixes.

If you have followed the earlier posts on potatoes and radishes, then you know we have five soil test beds.

One clayey soil (control), clay plus our super soil additive (code named SF60), clay soil plus compost from our HOTBIN®  (i.e. high colloidal humus compost), clay soil plus raw biochar, clay soil plus ‘shop’ bought compost.

sunflower soilfixer additives tests august

The SF60 Biochar Super Compost (Soil Improver) formulation has resulted in 2.7m high Sunflowers and the earliest flower heads. They are 32% taller than the average.

The sunflowers grown with soil plus ‘raw biochar’ were 1.6m height. Those using compost from our HOTBIN® and shop compost were equal at 1.8 and 1.9m. The control is interesting; it is currently 2.2m – but!

The clay control sunflower has a fascinating story. A few weeks back, I noticed the soil height in all the tests beds had dropped some 10cm below the top rail. Basically the soil had compressed since filling for the first time back in September last year. The decision was taken to top-up at end of the season with like-for-like mixes. Then my neighbour tore up a path of garden to make a new patio and offered me one tonne of soil.

I wheelbarrowed it all back. I was running out of a space to store it. I thought well it’s same clay soil as the control – it won’t affect things if I add the extra soil in to one bin now. How wrong was that!

At the time of addition (four weeks ago) the clay soil sunflowers were second to last place.

But four weeks later, one week of heavy rain and two weeks of fantastic late summer sunshine and bang – they caught up the best performer. I’m pretty sure this is all down to water. The extra clay not only holds water; it has stopped the layer below drying out as fast – they had more water than other tests beds.

So this brings us back to the test.

The sunflowers tests indicate water retention within the soil additive as one of the most critical features, especially when looking at flowers in the late summer months.

Those who have read up on biochar as a soil additive will be asking – but surely biochar holds water. Why did the Sunflowers in biochar do poorly? Surely compost also holds water?

All these are true – the key question is “how much water (holding capacity) and, in terms of the biochar article, how long for (water retention time)”.

Why Does Biochar Super Compost work?

Consider this table of soil raw material properties:

 

Compost and biochar improve poor soils. Colloidal humus retains a lot more water. Just as importantly it holds onto to it for far longer. Compost dries at 100C in about two hours. A similar size colloidal humus sample would only be dry after 8-10 hours – it just doesn’t let go!

Not sure? You can try for yourself by taking 100g samples of BBQ charcoal, compost, clay soil. Wet them, roll into a ball in palm and leave them out in sun. Every hour check to see if they fall apart or are still pliable. The alternative is to use the kitchen oven to dry – but best check first. We might know all germs are killed within minutes at 100C, it still doesn’t mean the cook will be happy.

Colloidal humus is remarkable stuff. Even small amounts have a profound impact on soil. So why not just add loads of colloidal humus to the soil. Well, you need balance. Pure Humus is a sticky mass full of water. It does not let the soil breath (roots need oxygen). In essence, the soil needs more colloidal humus, but not too much!

What we are attempting to create with SF60 is the world’s best, (completely natural and sustainable) soil additive. OK we know that’s a huge goal for a small team, but we are very close. Want to test for yourself? Buy SF60 here!

PS: want to know how not to grow tall sunflowers? Plant seeds direct into poor clay soil, next to shed (shaded for part day and protected from rainfall. Leave them to fend for themselves and compete with weeds. Do not provide extra water. The seeds we planted have been in twice as long as those in test beds (16 weeks versus eight weeks). They are pathetic weaklings at 0.3m height and no signs of flowers. That’s a huge eight fold smaller. Nature has such huge capacity to change plant growth!

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