Superweedman's Biochar Showdown

Week 8

Week 9

I think this entire experiment should be done with charged biochar, or else it's just a fancy type of aeration that absorbs your available nitrogen.

greasemonkeymann said:

I think this entire experiment should be done with charged biochar, or else it's just a fancy type of aeration that absorbs your available nitrogen.

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Agreed- Is it not charged @Superweedman ? I assumed it was.

If not it's a bummer, watching these vids I'd pretty much written it off as snake oil

Earlier we were discussing what it came pre-charged with. It's pre-charged with something other than Nitrogen, so the story goes.

Rrog said:

Earlier we were discussing what it came pre-charged with. It's pre-charged with something other than Nitrogen, so the story goes.

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My bad shoulda gone back and read it again.

Rrog said:

Earlier we were discussing what it came pre-charged with. It's pre-charged with something other than Nitrogen, so the story goes.

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in my experience (yes I have used it uncharged) it'll do exactly what they say it does, it'll rob your soil of its nitrogen.
After about a month in the soil my plants started yellowing, and that's odd for my mix.
Topdressed with some of my "magical" compost and it went away.
Gotta charge it with nitrogen, not microbes, the microbes should come from you compost or EWC content, and they'll "grow" into the biochar eventually.
Biochar is some good shit, but ya gotta have it charged.
The best charge I've used was a comfrey/dandelion ferment.
I know of people that have used urine with great results as well, in fact, according to the homesteaders, urine is sorta the staple charge to use on biochar.

elkamino said:

Agreed- Is it not charged @Superweedman ? I assumed it was.

If not it's a bummer, watching these vids I'd pretty much written it off as snake oil

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Don't think of it as snake oil, it's good stuff man, especially if you re-use your soil.
I won't ever NOT have biochar in my mix, I really like it.

We're saying the same thing and agree on the charging.

My point was that on the previous page of this thread:

Rrog said:

He musta charged with a N source or some other significant - charged ion. Why not N is beyond me.

This is what happens when a simple product tries to go commercial. If you don't introduce mystery, then why buy it?

Biochar is great. It's just to easy to make the worlds best all on your own.

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You MUST tie up the polar sites on the char, or else it will rob your soil.

had a baby IRL, so got behind updating. Here is the rest of the show.

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14 and 15 HARVEST TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok…..I really didnt expect the music in week one. My speakers were on when it played and my 3 year old heard then repeated the F word. Thanks for sharing the "showdown". I hope to see more. I'd rather hear your voice than the great music….so calm.

Would love to know the wet/dry weights between the biochar and no biochar. If you could at least post the wet weight that would be awesome. Dry weight would be great to if you remember

edit: and holy cow the plants are amazing for such small pots! Great job!

Great aeration amendment, also holds water, microlife habitat, and holds Anions initially. Then after a couple years, the surface charge changes and it then holds Cations

I make volumes of biochar in 55 gallon TLUD biochar ovens. Inoculate N with alfalfa

Rrog said:

Great aeration amendment, also holds water, microlife habitat, and holds Anions initially. Then after a couple years, the surface charge changes and it then holds Cations

I make volumes of biochar in 55 gallon TLUD biochar ovens. Inoculate N with alfalfa

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Can I ask how you crush it? and what size you like

Apple scratter. Hand crank or motor drive