biochar from old phat carbon filter?
- Thread starter Zheol
- Start date
testiclees
Well-Known Member
I think the char from the filter would be useful for biochar but 'charging' the char isnt so easy. I never used filter coal but i have charged up several batches of coal. My best results came from char that was repeatedly soaked in nutrients and aged over a few seasons.
I think there is a discussion about charging coal on the logical gardener.
Your idea would work but i think youd have a delay before getting positive effects.
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
really?
I just soaked mine in some dandelion/comfrey FPE overnight and then mixed in the soil, it was simple and easy.
Do you have another method?
testiclees
Well-Known Member
I think it depends on the char and the size. I used bigger pieces for years with potted trees and i dont think it helped a whole lot except making the pots lighter.
This past year I used a batch that i aged about 9-10 months. The plant had an amazingly positive and continuing effect.
I took all the rest i had and mixed it into my worm box in March. I will use it this fall.
I researched the whole charging thing quite a bit and found that there are a lot of approaches. Usually folks say 1-2 weeks is minimum charge time but there are loads of variables. My opinion is pretty based on the incredible response i had with the really well aged stuff so its purely anecdotal.
Like i said the gardeners at Logical Gardener are more advanced than many stoner forum folks..There is a bunch of discussion there.
testiclees
Well-Known Member
Wow 50#! Where did you source that? How much?
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
Why throw it out? You can wash and recharge that carbon!
Use a mild biodegradable soap in RO or deionized water. Put in the carbon and swish it around for about 15 min. Drain and rinse, 3 times, soaking/swishing the carbon for 10 min the first 2 times.
Now dry it and bake it in an oven at 250 deg till dry.....The heat does the "recharge" as it dries out. The mild soap removes any accumulated oils that it may have absorbed (only in the surface pores are where these oils get trapped).
This is how a major drug company does it's lab filter carbon.
Doc
"Crazy Shit"
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
my first experience with biochar was simply using the "activated" filters from my biowheel in my fishtank, they'd soak up all the fish excrement, and i'd throw it in my soil when it went bad, course that was with MINUTE amounts, but I figured the why not, fishtank water was like steroids for my plants..
One thing I wish I could do for my current house is have a big ole 55 gal to "vacuum" each week, that stuff was GOLDEN for my plants.