Reading "Biochar: Environmnetal Management". It's actually a college textbook, and a bit over my head, but covers a lot of information and is interesting. Got it from my library, using an inter-library loan service they have.

Don't cut yourself short, Christie. The deep end is swimmable.

I'm up to page 230. Some of the sentences I have to read more than once to figure out. But even so, I am gaining some knowledge. Right now I am reading about biochar particle break down in the soil.

Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations
David R. Montgomery

How soil types have contributed to the life span of previous different civilizations and how it applies to modern times and the agricultural arts currently being exploited.

cwhitt said:I'm up to page 230. Some of the sentences I have to read more than once to figure out. But even so, I am gaining some knowledge. Right now I am reading about biochar particle break down in the soil.

AND?!?

They break down faster in higher pH soils, and when the feedstock is stuff like grass.

Which mostly makes sense. How in depth does that book go with feedstock?

Pretty in depth. A lot of it is more technical than I understand, but I get the gist. Different feed stocks are better for certain purposes, like retaining water and such. I do wish they would write this same book and dumb it down for the common reader. A huge amount of research went into the book, and they cite it all. A lot of talk is on the molecular level. Lots of slides and graphs.

Here is a nice podcast to listen to. The biochar part starts at about 5 1/2 minutes into the podcast. I like the comparison of biochar to luxury condominiums or an empty bank account.

https://gardenerd.com/Podcasts...

Academic writing has self imposed filters to create an exclusivity with regards to the information acquired. The books are tortuous on purpose. Academics in most educational institutions must publish to gain and maintain tenure and too many are terrible communicators personally. They further lack practice in writing effectively because they are not required to standby testable results. Results based on experience.

All of the above feeds on itself and you get substandard communications from text books. This does not effect the production of textbooks because they address a limited captive customer base.

The deplorable purchase prices reveal the paralyzed nature their quarry, the students, acting on them like a monthly utility, slowing down scientific inquiry and productivity which in the end does not deploy a cost effective scientific product.

Science and its communication if properly applied to should compliment with least cost the brushfire between your ears.

It is tortuous. Some of it I can understand, but I usually need to go to the last section of each chapter to "Conclusions" to get the full gist of what they are saying. I want to keep reading it though, because there is stuff in there that is interesting, if I can just figure it out. I went to college, and this is by far, the most difficult book I have ever read. If someone could just dumb it down and write it for the average gardener, it would be great. Hmmm, perhaps I should e-mail the authors and suggest that.

cwhitt said:It is tortuous. Some of it I can understand, but I usually need to go to the last section of each chapter to "Conclusions" to get the full gist of what they are saying. I want to keep reading it though, because there is stuff in there that is interesting, if I can just figure it out. I went to college, and this is by far, the most difficult book I have ever read. If someone could just dumb it down and write it for the average gardener, it would be great. Hmmm, perhaps I should e-mail the authors and suggest that.

Biochar for Dummies!

The more I read about it... so many different factors. Unless you make your own, I doubt that manufacturer will list the feedstock on the bag, so you won't know what the feedstock is. Then there's the starting soil type.... the application rate.... it's a complex subject. I still need to pop over to R&D and see if anyone there is looking at biochar.

frogfan said:Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations
David R. Montgomery
How soil types have contributed to the life span of previous different civilizations and how it applies to modern times and the agricultural arts currently being exploited.

Book ordered from library!

OK, I went ahead and e-mailed Johannes Lehmann, asking for a dumbed downed version! I wonder if he will respond? Yes, there are so many different things to consider, for use, soil type etc. We really do need 'Biochar for Dummies!'

Good show, Christie. Interested in the response.

Easy way to make your own biochar/charcoal. Just remove fallen embers from you campfire or fireplace and quench with water or suffocate. Bingo. Crush a little since smaller is better. But size is not that big an issue, so whatever is easiest. Don't over-complicate it.

Toss it in your compost pile to charge it.

This is from the International Biochar Initiative:
Biochar: Benefits to the Composting Processes
Based on current findings, the benefits of adding biochar to the composting process may include shorter compost times; reduced rates of GHG emissions (methane, CH4 and nitrous oxide, N2O); reduced ammonia (NH3) losses; the ability to serve as a bulking agent for compost; and reduced odor. For the biochar material itself, undergoing composting helps to charge the biochar with nutrients without breaking down the biochar substance in the process.

I'm taking a very low tech/lazy approach. I take ash and char coal and charred pieces from the backyard campfire and toss it around the gardens and compost. I figure I am helping simulate natural process in my local environment.

My experiment with bio-char... Buckets full of burn pile char soaking in collected urine.

When I added this mixture to a couple of new beds, it seemed like they performed better than previous new beds... I plan to repeat experiment if I can get any of my burn piles to produce usable amounts of char.

Urine (human or animal) is great at charging biochar.

Much easier to pee into a bucket, than trying to hold a bucket under an animal...just saying😀