how much biochar

so im going to soak my biochar over night in tea to bring out the biology and then mix it into my soil containers that are cooking for next run

im also going to top dress it in the containers that im currently growing in

the directions on the bag suggest 10% to 20% volume... that sounds like a lot

each #20 pot contains roughly 2cubic ft or 15 gallons of soil

if I follow the min 10% recommendation on the bag id add 1.5 gallons of biochar per pot

that sounds like a lot too me??

im4satori said:

so im going to soak my biochar over night in tea to bring out the biology and then mix it into my soil containers that are cooking for next run

im also going to top dress it in the containers that im currently growing in

the directions on the bag suggest 10% to 20% volume... that sounds like a lot

each #20 pot contains roughly 2cubic ft or 15 gallons of soil

if I follow the min 10% recommendation on the bag id add 1.5 gallons of biochar per pot

that sounds like a lot too me??

Click to expand...

Do you have lots of biochar? like do you make it yourself or anything?

Cause then 20% is more then fine. Even 30 is recommended by some companies here.

But 10% is my preferred amount. I loved the 2% test and haven't looked back.. can't wait to get to 10% and then keep everything there. Nice and easy from there.

But you could do 5% on half your cultivars, 10% on the other half.. and just top dress away. Compare what you liked more then roll with that.

Diatomite is my preferred top dress, kills bugs better, has good cooling effects etc
but biochar, thats a bad ass top dress, man, boss... prob would be my 2nd choice.

Also, depends if you want to dry your medium out, take vacations, etc.. if so, more or less might be smart

what do you mean dry it out?

I purchased it at the hydro store $$

does biochar addition have an effect on ph ?

im4satori said:

does biochar addition have an effect on ph ?

Click to expand...

it has a high PH..i dont now if is has an effect though. http://dorsetcharcoal.co.uk/gardeners-biochar.html

im4satori said:

what do you mean dry it out?

I purchased it at the hydro store $$

Click to expand...

Biochar is just smushed up lump charcoal, like used for smoking meat. AKA Cowboy charcoal or hardwood charcoal.

NOT briquettes!

It's pretty light and looks like what it was before it was charcoal. Sections of tree limbs, big wood chunks, etc. Easy to find and with a little hammer work WAY cheaper than the hydo store.

Wetdog said:

Biochar is just smushed up lump charcoal, like used for smoking meat. AKA Cowboy charcoal or hardwood charcoal.

NOT briquettes!

It's pretty light and looks like what it was before it was charcoal. Sections of tree limbs, big wood chunks, etc. Easy to find and with a little hammer work WAY cheaper than the hydo store.

Click to expand...

That's badass.
Thank you.

I just picked up an eleven pound bag of commercial biochar. First time using commercial biochar for me. Ill probably use 20% in 7gal containers with 50% less perlite. I haven't decided what to charge it with. Probably brown rice flour and cubensis mycelium as a tea with fermented fish aminos and tropical fruit extract (like peppers, bananas and mangos).
Cheers

im4satori said:

so im going to soak my biochar over night in tea to bring out the biology and then mix it into my soil containers that are cooking for next run

im also going to top dress it in the containers that im currently growing in

the directions on the bag suggest 10% to 20% volume... that sounds like a lot

each #20 pot contains roughly 2cubic ft or 15 gallons of soil

if I follow the min 10% recommendation on the bag id add 1.5 gallons of biochar per pot

that sounds like a lot too me??

Click to expand...

Its really not, I used to work a sustainable farm where biochar was in excess. We were to apply a 5 gallon pail of biochar to every square meter or so. As it built up into the soil we would add 20 gallons to a 10x1 meter bed.

Our nursery plant recipe (11gal total) was 25% biochar and 25% compost, 25% vermicastings, and 25% previous soil. Gallon bokashi, few handfuls of silica powder, mineral mix, and southeast Asian guano which is local to the caves on the island. For adults we would add more exotic composts and blood.

The compost typically was high nitrogen pails of blood poured over biochar, weeds, old crops, carcasses, bokashi, and manures.

im4satori said:

so im going to soak my biochar over night in tea to bring out the biology and then mix it into my soil containers that are cooking for next run

im also going to top dress it in the containers that im currently growing in

the directions on the bag suggest 10% to 20% volume... that sounds like a lot

each #20 pot contains roughly 2cubic ft or 15 gallons of soil

if I follow the min 10% recommendation on the bag id add 1.5 gallons of biochar per pot

that sounds like a lot too me??

Click to expand...

5% biochar per volume, too much can send your PH into a tizzy.