Biochar to improve soil water retention.

[Khriss]

( My bonsai sufferin :P )

[Gary Prentice]

59 minutes ago, Khriss said:

Bloody hell- I dont want yr monday Gary the D.birch sounds a good route to take - am doubtful the bio char will make a difference - wouldn't even bother with turf - good load of well composted chip around trees for water retention  , which will have the earthworms busy and again a drip irrigation system, in mind of the blinding weather we been havin , K

??

 

believe it or not Chris, this is what I enjoy. We’re very close to an amicable resolution involving some new planting and a bit of spoil moved off site. Nothing too drastic or expensive, the site will get improved with more tree species than at present - everyone wins.

 

 

 

[openspaceman]

3 hours ago, Khriss said:

am doubtful the bio char will make a difference - wouldn't even bother with turf - good load of well composted chip around trees for water retention  , which will have the earthworms busy and again a drip irrigation system, in mind of the blinding weather we been havin , K

The jury is still out on what benefit biochar conveys but it seems to make most sense in poorer soils and worse climates than ours. The only place in UK I am aware it benefited tree planting was in the tailings from an abandoned mine because of its ability to hold heavy metals.

 

Yes to the mulch for water retention and reducing weed competition at establishment.

 

One benefit of biochar from arb waste is brownie points for carbon credits. One could deal with arb waste, reduce its volume and sell it as a soil improver on a smaller scale than having to load chip wagons for a power station AND offset all that diesel and petrol the business uses.

[Gary Prentice]

Wood chip mulch is a given, I'd be specifying that anyway and it would be handy to get cherry or hawthorn chips to encourage mycorrhizal. I'd like to specify soil from a woodland but I don't know if that's possible to even source.

 

I was a bit disappointed in the Carbon Gold website, I was expecting some links to a few studies to help in an assessment of its use.

[Khriss]

Charcoal should indeed fix pollutants and heavy metals in the soil - which is why its used in gasmasks , but that would be my only use of it as its quite costly , K

[Woodworks]

38 minutes ago, Gary Prentice said:

 

 

I was a bit disappointed in the Carbon Gold website, I was expecting some links to a few studies to help in an assessment of its use.

I suspect because you wouldn't like the findings. I looked around for some info on this a short while ago to see if I should be trying to sell our waste charcoal as biochar but after reading this decided I would give it a miss. Mind you I did read some similar findings that mention it's abilities of water retention but cant find that now.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170425131407.htm

[openspaceman]

38 minutes ago, Khriss said:

Charcoal should indeed fix pollutants and heavy metals in the soil - which is why its used in gasmasks , but that would be my only use of it as its quite costly , K

That's activated charcoal, it has an iodine number hundreds of times higher than ordinary charcoal and in the past was made from bone rather than wood.

[openspaceman]

24 minutes ago, Woodworks said:

I suspect because you wouldn't like the findings. I looked around for some info on this a short while ago to see if I should be trying to sell our waste charcoal as biochar but after reading this decided I would give it a miss. Mind you I did read some similar findings that mention it's abilities of water retention but cant find that now.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170425131407.htm

Beau what's the point of me drumming up trade for the fines from your excellent retort if you go posting things like that? ?

 

It's actually not far off what I posted, essentially our soils are too good for it to directly benefit and the climate not harsh enough. Reclaiming brownfield sites is a possibility.

 

If you have considered adding perlite to a heavy clay soil then I'd suggest trying charcoal fines instead.

 

I see no disbenefits in using it and it should aid a composting process

 

 

 

 

[Woodworks]

5 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

Beau what's the point of me drumming up trade for the fines from your excellent retort if you go posting things like that? ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just call it as I see it haha.

 

Done some of the modifications to the retort you suggested and it's a definite improvement ?

 

[treeseer]

The German ZTV standard calls for exchanging soil with "Permanently pervious aggregate", which retains water.  Google Leca (expanded clay) or stalite (expanded slate).

 

Indigenous folks here chose volcanic soils to farm in; it retains water due to its porosity.

 

I seldom see trees that are unsalvageable; what are the criteria for that judgment?

Edited July 2, 2018 by treeseer