Biochar - Permanent Compost for Your Garden

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The Urban Harvest - Homegrown Education

Күн бұрын

Biochar is better than compost. It is the best homemade fertilizer for vegetable gardens and luckily creating biochar isn't all that hard. We will show you an easy way to make biochar on a small scale. But do not put raw biochar directly in the garden, charging biochar is critical. We show you how to do that too both by putting biochar in compost and for a quicker turn around by inoculating the bio char which will create the best fertilizer for vegetable garden you can imagine. By the end of this video you will know how to make biochar at home.
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Chapters
00:00 how to make biochar at home
00:45 how does biochar work
01:24 what is biochar
03:15 material for biochar
06:12 making a biochar kiln
06:55 starting the fire for a biochar burn
07:59 adding material to a burn
09:44 3 stages of fire
10:58 extinguishing the fire
11:55 raw biochar
12:30 biochar in compost
13:25 charging biochar

Пікірлер: 495

@philjulian2083 4 ай бұрын

I live in a long needle pine area, ( North Crolina) and collect bushels of needles in the fall from my yard and my neighbors. I pile 2 wheelbarrows (6 cu ft each) of the needles into a 10 ft long x 2 ft wide caterpillar and torch one end. As it gets glowing orange like a cigar, i rake out the glowing part, flip it to complete the burning, then douse it with a hose, this produces one 5 gal bucket of fine-rice grained carbon. (no crunching up necessary) (Process for one batch takes 10 minutes) I also have a worm bucket and collect the drippings, which is my "bio" microbe source, which I culture with sugar to increase the population, then pour the soup into the carbon and let sit for a few days. Then I spread it in the garden to simmer until spring. I produced about 36 cubic ft of carbon this way. ( six- 6 cuft contractor bags full)

@ainabearfarm8075 Жыл бұрын

Great explanation! We make 35 gallons a week in a cone pit dug into the ground; soak it in diluted urine for 2 weeks and the results are incredible. Easy and 100% free! 🤙

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

We use it for compost toilets a lot too.

@dwaynekendall Жыл бұрын

Thank you. Very timely, just started learning about biochar. Will be making a burn pit.

@davidvickers8425 Жыл бұрын

Is the urine enough? Have you looked at adding anaerobic bokashi or aerobic compost or even worm farm leachate?

@bch5513 Жыл бұрын

Do you have a video?

@ainabearfarm8075 Жыл бұрын

@@davidvickers8425 I’m sure there are all kinds of things you can add that would improve the quality and in the near future I will be adding the runoff from worm bins, but for people seeking a very easy and free recipe, the urine does a great job. It is of course full of nitrogen but also all Of the trace elements that your body couldn’t use so it’s also great to close that loop. 🤙

@user-ny7vr5mw4p 10 ай бұрын

not sure if anyone has mentioned this or not, but be careful burning bamboo, it has pockets in it due to the area where each section is connected, I have seen these in the fire service when on wildfire calls explode due to water content in those pockets, it throws pieces of bamboo like shrapnel and causes some pretty bad injuries if you are near.

@stixglass8442 10 ай бұрын

Interesting observation! I noticed he split All his material lengthwise. I guarantee not everyone noticed that, so great safety tip!

@williamgair3230 10 ай бұрын

Clumping bamboo is not that thick and does not present that problem. Additionally it is cut into small units that won't pose that problem.

@nokianx400 5 ай бұрын

I have lived near bamboo my entire life, also burned them. Never seen what you describe 😂

@michellehannen6724 5 ай бұрын

Not sure what the difference is with different types but in a wild fire this happened to myself and fellow firefighters.Can only speak of my own experience

@Procedurallydegeneratedjohn 2 ай бұрын

Sounds like youve watched too much of 1000 ways to die

@MichaelJosephJr934 11 ай бұрын

One of the better videos here on YT. Thank You!

@ricktarded5943 11 ай бұрын

This was the best and most informative biochar video ever! Thank you all sooooo much for getting to important points out without all the fluff. You all are the best. Thank you both Elise and Paul!

@NapoleonGARDENINGTV 11 ай бұрын

I also use biochar in my Garden. Very Effective and I love it!

@1Ggirl1959 5 ай бұрын

This is one of the best videos I have seen on biochar. I have tons of bamboo around my land. It's called "damboo" here in the south. 🤗

@jeromecalderone4526 Жыл бұрын

Great video Ill have to purchase some from Paul next time I visit family in Orlando thanks so much.

@jerry.williams9163 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for posting ! I really enjoyed your video .

@ericbutterfield-zw3iu 10 ай бұрын

Your questions for PK were perfect and made for a very informative and useful exploration for something that until now wasn’t even on my radar.

@TheUrbanHarvest 10 ай бұрын

Im so glad it was fluid for you!

@IowaKim 11 ай бұрын

Love the bluebird singing in the background at 3:14

@JamesThompson-ez4yu 10 ай бұрын

Better to use a large pot with a lid to fill with wood chunks, then place in the burn pit and stack waste wood around to light and let burn to incinerate the pot of wood. leave the lid sitting lose and when the pot no longer has smoke come out, your char is done.

@goodvibebrooke 10 ай бұрын

Really great video guys. Thanks for explaining.

@TheUrbanHarvest 10 ай бұрын

Glad you liked it!

@audreyasbey3745 8 күн бұрын

Excellent video. Thank for your help

@paulkroll7616 7 күн бұрын

Thank you for viewing.

@madfishermanmadfisherman4299 Жыл бұрын

He was ok. I prefer David the good. He has a good video on biochar. And other gardening techniques. I strongly recommend his videos

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

hes a wealth of knowledge for sure.

@vivianalonso9983 Жыл бұрын

Meh. I can't get past David's preachy attitude and annoying little songs. This guy (Paul) was concise and clearly knowledgeable without the filler nonsense 👍🏻

@KHH595 Жыл бұрын

@@vivianalonso9983 Come on, the songs are fun! And his Faith is a huge part of who he is as a person. When one has that close of a relationship with God you can’t just separate David the Good the Gardner from David the Good the Christian. That would be like expecting a Muslim Gardner from removing their hijab or giving thanks to Allah in their videos. It’s who they are. And it’s super wholesome. A breath of fresh air from your typical modern KZfaqr.

@lisathiedeman4487 3 ай бұрын

@@vivianalonso9983 I agree re David. I find him annoying. But each to their own.

@alaricomanju7280 11 ай бұрын

Very well explained. Thank you

@TheUrbanHarvest 10 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@thomasvirta7904 3 ай бұрын

biochar = good for your flowers and good for the climate (long-term C storage). Very popular here in Finland as well, they just started producing biochar in my municipality, using wood from the local saw mill. Willow would be great as well, we are trying to find out where we can grow it. All the best to you and thanks for the video!

@soniawoolley366 Жыл бұрын

Great video - I never knew some of the things that were mentioned ...

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

glad it was helpful!

@lmclrain Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video, would love to use it at my garden. The video was really well explained.

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

glad it was helpful!

@maunaowakea777 10 ай бұрын

There are some really good studies that show how biochar works well when incorporated into biodigester processes. It increases methane production and the higher heat helps impregnate the biochar with nutrients, the entire post-digestion slurry is then poured out onto a compost situation, allowing the water slurry and shift from anaerobic to aerated microorganism, finally, the massive carbon feed once added to soils massively spurs mycorrhizae production.

@oonaamookhao 11 ай бұрын

OMG I have 1.5 hectare of bamboo!!! I’ll be making biochar asap. Thank you!!!🙏🙏🙏

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

Here in the US, I just picked up a used plug-in Milwaukee Sawsall for $30 on marketplace. Add a saw like that to 200ft of extension cords and some 9in long, 5-6 teeth per inch pruning blades and you are in business harvesting your acre of bamboo. I cut the long culms to fit into the kiln with an old table saw or an old chop saw. GO MAKE BIOCHAR!!!

@cristobalv Жыл бұрын

Best thing i've ever hear in a while, mix your fresh Biochard into your compost pile and wait.

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

the less work the better!

@nickmihailovic 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for the explanation 😊

@TheUrbanHarvest 10 ай бұрын

You're welcome 😊

@lilyrose4191 10 ай бұрын

Thank you! An excellent video! Liked ! Subscribed! Shared ! 😀

@TheUrbanHarvest 10 ай бұрын

Awesome, thank you!

@lilyrose4191 10 ай бұрын

You're welcome! 🙂@@TheUrbanHarvest

@davidwallace9975 11 ай бұрын

Great video. I’m in Pinellas county and have a lot of bamboo. I will be doing this for sure. Thanks for sharing his trade secrets. Most people don’t share this type of information.

@TheUrbanHarvest 10 ай бұрын

glad it was helpful!

@randalmoroski1184 6 ай бұрын

Good explanation.

@prepper-coach-dad2510 Жыл бұрын

Awesome video!!!

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

@Blackchain107 4 ай бұрын

Educative .thanks

@anzac90vap Жыл бұрын

Great video. Thank you for the informative content

@ajitthomas3543 Жыл бұрын

Fantastic Explanation and Good Presenter and Good Anchor. Thank you 🙏🏽

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

Our pleasure!

@JohnDoe-jn4ex Жыл бұрын

Yup 👍

@kimzgunplauniverse4950 Жыл бұрын

I recommend sir the video about uling making in Philippines

@johnliberty3647 Жыл бұрын

I have a biochar urinal. I add other thinks to it such as kelp, azomite crushed clay pots and what ever else I have around that helps. Run off liquids are bottled up and used as liquid fertilizer and the charged char and clay is added to my sandy Florida soil

@billwilson3665 Жыл бұрын

Terra preta.

@johnliberty3647 Жыл бұрын

A version of it. I think I would need to add dead animals or bone/blood meal as well as other things. If I break a clay pot I crush it up with charcoal much like the Amazonian did when making terra preta.

@gardeningbytheseatofyourplants 11 ай бұрын

Very pretty! I appreciate your channel. Keep it up! My channel doesn't have near the viewership yet , only 219 subs, but all we can do is keep grinding and putting out videos!! Well make it someday. Don't give up on your dreams!

@davidmurley1863 11 ай бұрын

I enjoyed your video. I’m in the process of building a house & moving to a small piece of land in the Withlacoochee Forest, in S. Sumter County. Most of the lot was cleared of trees by the previous owner. My soil is only about 1’ deep then fine sand. I’m looking forward to putting lots of Bio Char, Tilapia poop, sawdust, wood chips & compost into my soil then growing lots of native food plants. I’ve only made some “rough” charcoal on the ground by burning fallen trees then smothering the fire after a while with dirt then water. Then covering it with a tarp to keep the rain off it. I sift it then mix the char with all sorts of organic stuff. The ash I mix with a soil acidifier & the sand in the fire pit to be used later. I’m also filtering the pond water with chunks of Char which should be a perfect filter then adding that filter material back to the soil. 😊

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

David, How is the project going? Come on out to our local Lake County Permaculture meetings, 7PM first Tuesdays at Fort Jeppsen Ranch in Howey-In-The Hills. We have a great group of homesteaders sharing information every month. I'd enjoy meeting you and we can chat biochar.

@davidmurley1863 10 ай бұрын

I’m still building the house. Foundations poured. Tilapia are eating about twice as much as they did on August 27th when I got them. About 3 weeks ago. No dead fish! I’m harvesting the sludge from the bottom of the pond and pouring it right on the few plants I’ve started in the ground. I’ll probably show up at your meeting in a few months after the house is finished. I’m using a big paint stirrer to break up the char in 5 gallon buckets in a solution of pond sludge, powdered egg shells, leaf litter, fish emulsion & washed, decomposed seaweed. I dilute it about 10-1 immediately after stirring to get the tiniest particles in solution then immediately pour it on the plants. I ain’t killed nothing yet 😊🤞🙏

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

@@davidmurley1863 October 3rd, 7PM, Lake Permaculture has Mr. Ko Chang, a local from Groveland presenting on dragon fruit. Should be a good meeting.

@funUrth4all 2 ай бұрын

Thank you😊

@j.jacobson 10 ай бұрын

We use our cherry and hickory wood chips and various other fruit woods for cooking our food on the barbecue

@shantibants3949 Жыл бұрын

100% right about picking the material. bamboo is good because it's a grass but in a reveg area in Australia I like to use the natural wood that drops in the area - acacias are common because they do die off quick. It's not permennat compost it's one of the main ingredients in my growing media because it stops leeching of nitrogen and accelerates nutrient cycling because the difference between of the activated oxygen. My seed raising mix is 1 part coir, 1 part sand, 1 part bio char.

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

Nice, finding a locally adapted resource is important for sure. I haven't used it for seed starting. ill have to give it a go.

@barneyrubble4827 Жыл бұрын

I'd love to use coir it but it's expensive here in eastern US. Biochar, alpaca poo, leaves & grass clippings. Mulched beds ALWAYS

@joebobjenkins7837 Жыл бұрын

Another great source material, old heat treated pallets.

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

Yes indeed!

@HippyCheez11 Жыл бұрын

High desert grower here, I use Pine trees and Arizona Cypresses + pyracantha wood for my burns. Best thing ever for your permaculture!!! Pine needles + cypress best mulch & fire wood ❤

@rayjil7435 11 ай бұрын

You conducted your interview in such a superb way he would have glossed over thus full understanding is not achieved.

@TheUrbanHarvest 10 ай бұрын

glad the prompts made it more cohesive : )

@DJ-uk5mm Жыл бұрын

Spot on ! Perfect presentation…. Got yourself a new sub ! !

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@cannabinerd9665 11 ай бұрын

Until it's charged Biochar is an empty bucket. Compost can be used to fill the bucket. They aren't the same thing and thus shouldn't be compared against each other like they are.

@sandiamartin585 Жыл бұрын

Good job guys!! ❤

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

glad it was helpful

@Trial-N-ErrorFarms-jk9iz 2 ай бұрын

I bought a steel 55 gallon drum. The seller cut the top AND bottom for me. I had some old elm firewood (elm stinks when it burns so its not worth spit for a woodstove)I can fill it up and place a rock under the bottom to allow air.. I then build a fire, and fill it with firewood logs. Trying to stack it as tightly as possible. Once its burning well, I place the steel lid on the top and shovel dirt around the bottom edge to cut off the oxygen. I come back the next day and half of my drum is charcoal. Some might still be hot. I hose it down before I put it in 5 gallon buckets for use as blacksmithing fuel or biochar.

@havenonearth1049 5 ай бұрын

EXCELLENT video!! Wonderful job!!

@johnbell891 Жыл бұрын

Amazing!!!

@andyakomagaling8695 11 ай бұрын

This is good

@joylee7493 Жыл бұрын

Awesome video! I like all the detailed explanations of why certain things are done. I hacked my kettle grill and stuffed mulched the bottom to close the vents and made a little bit of biochar with branches. I don’t think husband or I want to burn our ground 😂

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

Fair enough. Perhaps on some pavers or something would work. He mentioned teaching classes to boy scouts were he would make it in a standard kitchen pot...

@daviddroescher Жыл бұрын

Joy Lee One of the things that pit burn dose is that it heats the native soil changing the paramagnetism( electric conductivity is improved) of the soil. Magnetic fields do not exist without electricity being present. They are opposite sides of the same coin therefore can not be discussed separately.

@vipinbaliga7760 Жыл бұрын

Very helpful video. Thank you!

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@Canuckistanian Жыл бұрын

Cool video but a lot of the audio was quite quiet and muffled, have you considered using lav mics to pick up each individual's voice?

@JohnDoe-jn4ex Жыл бұрын

Yup 👍

@kimzgunplauniverse4950 Жыл бұрын

In Philippines we used it..

@joebobjenkins7837 Жыл бұрын

12:00, thats only for a year. If you put it down over a garden area you can use it to kill off the weeds. Then plant next year and youre good to go.

@williamgair3230 10 ай бұрын

GREAT video but for small scale to complicated re inoculation. Pee on it, dump Grey water on it put in your garden. Don't sweat the small stuff. Re: Clumping Bamboo.... Great! MANY uses and NO it will not imvade.

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

Best inoculation, just dump the biochar in your compost pile. Makes the compost last 300% longer. I present the inoculation because it gives me an opportunity to introduce gardeners to rock dust, worm castings and the soil food web. All great solutions. Thanks for the comment.

@Pmz604 2 ай бұрын

After our BBQ, the left over ash is incorporated into the chicken coops deep layer mass and its left there for a week or two.

@sgtrickards5683 4 ай бұрын

If you don't like using chainsaws to cut the bamboo, get you a battery reciprocating saw. I bought one and it changed my pruning game. Might help you also. Using that handsaw is a good workout but it's slow.

@federicomachon8841 Жыл бұрын

I use charcoal as a filter for my fish pond would that work? I don't use Facebook is their another way to contact Paul?

@Karenperry-jc2dj 4 ай бұрын

I love hearing others opinion on different topics, bamboo originated from china, havent seen where they burn bamboo to add to their garden, but have always heard how great grandparents used wood ashes, literally burn wood to ashes, adding no other product, in there gardens, ashes contain iron aluminum manganese zinc boron potassium phosphorus and i think other minerals that plants need. Forgive me if i misunderstood the content of the video, but old ways are less complicated and more effective, (did he say to add sugar). This is just my opinion, have a great day.

@paulkroll7616 3 ай бұрын

Japan has a long history of bamboo, bamboo construction and biochar. Bamboo and rice husk biochar were staple input for most rice farmers. And sugar and molasses are biostimulants for microbial activity, they replicate the natural plant root exudates.

@CriticalThinking101 10 ай бұрын

So if I have a weed tree I want to get rid of, I can just pour charcoal around the tree as mulch.

@joebobjenkins7837 Жыл бұрын

Whered you get that ring?

@skitzochik 10 ай бұрын

compost is so much easier, food scraps is something we already throw away...no searching for stuff to burn. Some people live in areas where doing a burn is a huge fire hazard. He said its taxing on your body. Its just much easier to compost

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

Adding only 10% biochar into your compost pile makes your compost last 300% longer in the soil. Biochar and compost work very well together.

@anxiousbeachbums 11 ай бұрын

Might head out into one of many California burn area and pick up partially burned pine/fir/oak briquettes

@Kokomo-tj9er 10 ай бұрын

How do you find there burn areas? Is there a list somewhere? Thanks,

@anxiousbeachbums 10 ай бұрын

@@Kokomo-tj9er Honestly, just general knowledge of where fires have burned through the hills (40 miles east of here) in the last few years. Google Maps satellite images might help a bit. Don't know of any formal "burn area" maps, though they probably exist.

@oreopaksun2512 Жыл бұрын

'Permanent compost'....mind blown! So, would we apply the charged biochar the same ways as we would use compost in the garden and containers? What would be the recommended first application ratio to "average" garden soil at the beginning of the growing season? And then....no more compost or worm castings? LOL. I thought I was just starting to get the hang of this composting cycle, and I have to go back to GO. But the bonfire looks like a fun activity, not so much in a Florida summer, tho. Thanks for all the info and material for thought.

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

I would add what you can as your able but you would never go straight char or anything. Maybe up to 1/4 max but you don't have to get there over night. Especially if your incorporating into your normal composting efforts. Its definitely hot but can easily be combined efforts with a hang out fire in the fall/winter. Composting and worm castings are both still fantastic amendments. And as you continue to add them to the garden the biochar will recharge of sorts. No need to stop your standard operating procedures.

@fenrirgg Жыл бұрын

Nah, you still need the compost and mulch to charge and feed the biochar and the soil, because we can't take from the soil indifinetly, something has to go back.

@oreopaksun2512 Жыл бұрын

@@fenrirgg Since the biochar will provide lovely crannies for more micro residents, I guess the growing population has to be fed so they can in turn feed the plants. Makes sense.

@paulkroll7616 Жыл бұрын

@@fenrirgg What is wild is biochar makes the other labile carbon (leaves, branches, roots, compost, leaf mold, woodchips) resist decomposition. The garden may make sufficient carbon in place with a no till setup to maintain a 1.5% char, 1.5% labile carbon goal without ever adding more compost. Permanent compost is pretty accurate.

@albertbell7120 Жыл бұрын

We can’t light fires in our allotments … it’s environmental against the policy 😂😂😂 iv burnt wood and added it to my garden for over 25 yrs … can’t beat it 🇬🇧

@klauskarpfen9039 11 ай бұрын

11:55 and the raw material will still contain creosote-like compounds from charring, which act as antibiotic disinfection agents. It will take some months of exposure to oxygen and soaking with biodegradable fluids to populate it with fungi and bacteria before it becomes a habitable place for plant roots.

@paulkroll7616 11 ай бұрын

The Carbon Offset Zone Series II/III is for the serious biochar maker. It will char all of your biomass completely. It might be be a better fit for you. Good Luck with your biochar!!! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/huCIkrF02LTHgKs.html

@CARODSLINK Жыл бұрын

@j.b.4340 11 ай бұрын

I’m in a prolonged drought. The lawn is gold, like straw. There’s a 30 foot ring of green grass. It’s an old burn pile.

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

Older cultures were far more observant. The historic documents about char all describe the same observation as yours. Things grew best where there were concentrated fires. Thanks for sharing.

@joelwatkins4377 11 ай бұрын

You can also buy lump charcoal that is free of any contaminates and crush it up to the correct size. Then add your nutrients and let it all soak OR add it to your mulch pile.

@irmasanchez5274 11 ай бұрын

Lump charcoal? Do you recommend a particular brand? Thank you. B

@joelwatkins4377 11 ай бұрын

Royal Oak is probably the most inexpensive that meets the criteria.

@roncatlin7271 11 ай бұрын

i recently shopped for royal oak pellets. everyone had such differing prices but i ended up getting it from home depot. $35 for 2 20# bags & free shipping.

@BlackCameleer 5 ай бұрын

Entrusting the entirety of one's hot composting endeavours merely to the carbon ensconced within biochar might, at first blush, appear to be a matter of unassailable logic, given its carboniferous essence. Yet, it behoves us to consider that the process of pyrolysis-this transformative alchemy-radically metamorphoses the very fabric of the organic carbon, such as that found in sundry 'brown' materials, transfiguring it into an incarnation of carbon profoundly more steadfast and impervious to the voracious appetites of microbial denizens. Augment your vintage vessel of decomposition with biochar, but not as a wholesale replacement of the browns. Whilst marvelously stable, this pyrolysed carbon confounds the microbes' usual digestion.

@paulkroll7616 5 ай бұрын

Great advice. Labile carbon is important in your compost pile to power it's transformative biological processes.

@BlackCameleer 5 ай бұрын

@@paulkroll7616 Splendid observation, indeed! Labile carbon is the elixir that animates those tireless microbial alchemists. Without it, their transformative work would undoubtedly continue, yet at a pace so glacial that it would test the patience of even the most venerable oak!

@janonthemtn 10 ай бұрын

It's also is reported to be great for chickens(in a fine grain form)

@williamgair3230 10 ай бұрын

Yep it is

@emylytle7149 10 ай бұрын

Do you use untreated woods, or any kind of woods will do? Thanks for the tips 👍😊👩‍🌾

@TheUrbanHarvest 10 ай бұрын

Yes cedar or cypress are the best untreated. This client didn’t care about organics so went with pressure treated.

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

Yes, untreated wood only. I have even made biochar from heat treated pallets for a friend's garden. My favorite is clumping bamboo.

@Thorny_Misanthrope 6 ай бұрын

Heavy metals are in wood and the substrate they grow in. There are heavy metals in regular woods ash.

@chiptom6461 Жыл бұрын

Lapel microphones are cheap. Best if sun is in your face (to camera's back). You should consider closeups which you can add (i.e., edit-in) at post production.

@patriciamayhew6321 Жыл бұрын

What can I use that grows in Wisconsin? It gets very cold here and I have never seen bamboo growing here. What other types of wood can be used to make bio char?

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

any wood will make biochar. just try to look for an abundant or fast growing resource that is locally available. what do the farmers in your area cringe at as it grows up in their fields? that would probably be a start...

@paulkroll7616 Жыл бұрын

If I were to plant 10 trees specifically to make biochar in Michigan, I'd probably go with the Black Locust. But I have no experience in Michigan, there might be something faster that pollards well for you up there. Chat up a local permaculture designer and ask them. Local experience is so valuable.

@t.dig.2040 Жыл бұрын

I personally like using the weeds from my garden. dry weeds break up so nicely in my compost.

@Auguur Жыл бұрын

Looks like he had a better chance of cutting that rusty old saw with the bamboo. Time for an upgrade.

@BeautifulEarthJa Жыл бұрын

🤣🤣🤣

@kristinatollefson3373 6 ай бұрын

Do you not have to crush it or chop it up into tiny pieces? Do you leave it in the chunks as it comes out of the fire?

@paulkroll7616 6 ай бұрын

I do crush it up with the shovel some, but chunky is fine. There are pros and cons to crushing the biochar down to a small uniform size. Smaller pieces have higher surface area giving you extra holding capacity for nutrients with it's adsorptive properties. Larger pieces have higher water retention. I leave it the way it comes out of the kiln to maximize the water holding capacity. Our local soils are very sandy and could use the extra water. The char is very brittle, so running it over a 1/2" hardware cloth compost sieve will break it down quickly and leave you with a uniform size. Plus, I don't want to breathe the coal dust and I haven't seen any significant differences in plant growth trials. Thanks for your question.

@sappir26 Жыл бұрын

When, how much and how often would you add this to your soil?

@paulkroll7616 Жыл бұрын

Don't focus on how much, focus on designing an easy system to turn waste woody biomass from onsite or nearby into biochar and use all that you make. More is better. Be sure to run the biochar through a compost system before using it in the soil. There are biochar cookstoves or you can make it all winter long in a wood stove.

@jum5238 10 ай бұрын

I have some leftover oak. Can I use it for biochar, or is it too acidic? And what about pallet wood?

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

Hardwoods are great for biochar. Heat treated pallets work well, just be prepared to spend all the time you saved by using pallets on getting the nails out of the char.

@franzwaltenspuhl8892 Жыл бұрын

So we use a wood stove for heat. I’ve been using the biochar from the ashes. I simply sift it. I hope that is the beneficial biochar that you are discussing.

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

Its close depending on the stage you catch it at, I've done that myself for years. When burned that way it may not have released all the water yet but its still a wonderful product for the garden (after inoculation of course).

@TheEmbrio Жыл бұрын

Check Edible acres on how they use a normal woodstove and get more biochar than just what could be found in ashes

@Gabi-lt4mx Жыл бұрын

@@TheEmbrio I agree I'm using that way for 3-4 years. Using nutshells and all the small thing I normally through on my compost. Great and easy way to produce boichar.

@MK-ti2oo Жыл бұрын

We heat 100% with a wood stove and I use all the char from it the same way, I sift it, then it goes into our 5 gallon outside urinal (just my husband and I here, we don't take any meds and eat a whole foods, home grown diet) where it gets peed on for a few weeks, then it gets layered in to the compost piles. It's like rocket fuel for my gardens and greenhouses.

@shelbidurham Жыл бұрын

Awesome video!! I have an issue with grazon on the property we just bought. I’ve heard boo hat can help pull the herbicide from the soil? Any advice on that?

@dmitriy2221 Жыл бұрын

What to do for those who live far from the rock mountains and do not have access to rock dust, where to get rock dust?

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

Ask at a local stone yard. Decomposed granite is a material used for paver base and found across the US. A few 5 gallon buckets is enough for an entire garden.

@bonnieblenders4606 Жыл бұрын

I have so much pepper tree that has to be cut down. It's not good for firewood in general but how about for this? I'd surely love to see some benefit from it

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

Yes, char all the brushy material less than 3inches in diameter. Be careful to keep the smoke away from your eyes.

@DakilangAtsoy Жыл бұрын

I think you can do it more productively when you use the fire to for cooking.

@paulkroll7616 Жыл бұрын

When we build the ecovillage we will use a heat exchanger to capture the heat in water and store it for space heating tiny homes during winter.

@zamboanganbeats 2 ай бұрын

I live in a country with no garbage disposal so I burn all our garbage. What happens with the melted plastics if if is added to compost?

@paulkroll7616 2 ай бұрын

Don't burn plastic. Don't buy plastic or things packaged in plastic. Burning plastic releases: -Dioxins & Furans: These are highly toxic and carcinogenic chemicals that can cause a range of health problems, including cancer, reproductive issues, and developmental disorders. -Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): These are known to cause cancer and can also cause respiratory problems and other health issues. -Benzene: This is a known carcinogen that can cause leukemia and other blood disorders.

@johnradcliffe8115 10 ай бұрын

I collect charcoal left over from camping fires and burn offs (mainly eucalypts, acacias etc), then wash off any ash and add to my compost. Is this good or not? Any comments gratefully received.

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

I would continue to do it. Just be sure to compost it well.

@theteenagegardner Жыл бұрын

Oh thats so great you have paul on your channel. But i have a question, i am writing a book and i am look for central fl gardens and homesteads and ect. And if i can interview you i would greatly appreciate it so much. I have been a big fan for like 2. And and a half years. I was not sure if i could contact you in any way like an email.

@paulkroll7616 Жыл бұрын

@TheUrbanHarvest Do you have time to give this gardening youtuber from Lake County Florida an interview and tour of your urban homestead?

@Cyclonut96 3 ай бұрын

@@paulkroll7616 this teenager will have to learn how to spell and properly write sentences and capitalization of letters first, before writing of book is attempted.

@paulkroll7616 3 ай бұрын

@@Cyclonut96 Piss on biochar, not the ambitions of a 13 year old.

@fungdark8270 11 ай бұрын

So I can make charcoal and take morning wee’s on it for a couple weeks?

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

Yes. Stop flushing that nitrogen into the rivers.

@benjaminbio5834 11 ай бұрын

Biochar is not a fertilizer but a conditioner of soil, it stores nutrients.

@lindavan5330 Жыл бұрын

Great video. How is it applied to the soil once it is finished? For example how much do you play does it need to be dug into the soil or can it just be laid on top like a mulch? Thank you in advance for your reply

@paulkroll7616 Жыл бұрын

Biochar will only improve plant growth when it is in contact with the plant roots. Crush it small if you are going to surface spread the char so that worms and water infiltration can easily bring the biochar down into the soil. The best use is in potted plant starts. A one time tilling of the soil could get biochar mixed into native soil well. Shoot for 2% in large scale farm soils and 20% in amended garden soils. A little at a time.

@t.dig.2040 Жыл бұрын

I just mix it into my compost, then use it like compost.

@StanOwden Жыл бұрын

instead of an open flame oven, can this be done in a pyrolysis chamber?

@t.dig.2040 Жыл бұрын

Yes, though the pit and quench approach allows for huge batches. And the quench helps break up the Char. The retorts give the best quality char, but it's for the soil so perfection doesn't matter.

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

Yes, The barrel in barrel retort chamber is popular but difficult to run. And you only make around 10 gallons per burn. Bigger retort kilns get expensive quick, but allow you co capture the wood vinegar as a byproduct. For the backyard the flame cap kiln is the best process.

@longleafdesign 4 ай бұрын

Do you need to add water when you mix the biochar with compost?

@paulkroll7616 3 ай бұрын

Make sure the compost is saturated like any compost pile. A hard hand squeeze produces 2-3 drops of water.

@user-io3hy4zb4s 9 ай бұрын

I've usually heard that the carbon in biochar will eventually breakdown if the microbial life is healthy enough and there is enough nitrogen. It's not permanent but rather stable. Its structure doesn't change easily. The carbon structure is very stable but will eventually combine with other elements and convert into something like carbon dioxide. It is far better than compost alone, of course.

@paulkroll7616 9 ай бұрын

The higher the temperature the longer the biochar will last in the soil. 1000 to 50,000 years.

@MartinGoblet-be Жыл бұрын

Many thanks for this very instructive video. There is just a point I don't understand : what's the difference between goed charcoal I put in my compost and the bio-char ?

@barneyrubble4827 Жыл бұрын

No difference if you're burning it correctly. Biochar implies a soil application, charcoal is a universal term.

@MartinGoblet-be Жыл бұрын

@@barneyrubble4827 Many thanks.

@t.dig.2040 Жыл бұрын

Char is char, but once saturated with microbes, I am comfortable calling it biochar.

@paulkroll7616 Жыл бұрын

Charcoal is made at a lower temp and will have residual hydrocarbons in the pores, (that give a charred flavor to your food). Biochar is heated to a higher temperature to remove all the hydrocarbons from the carbon structure.

@klauskarpfen9039 11 ай бұрын

@@paulkroll7616 and you really believe that there are no unburnt or half-burnt pieces in a kiln?

@LostSoulCorner Жыл бұрын

100% wood charcoal at Lowe's. If I crush it up to 2" diameter limit. Would that make a good product to put in my beds?

@paulkroll7616 Жыл бұрын

Lump charcoal will work if you run it through a full 6 month composting process to give time for the fungi to eat up all the oils left by the incomplete pyrolysis. Realize you are importing the charcoal from a heavy natural gas user and using lots of diesel to move it from Missouri. Best practice is to learn to make good biochar yourself and have a neighborhood fire once a month.

@LostSoulCorner Жыл бұрын

@@paulkroll7616 Did you enlighten folks about that store bought wood charcoal? Thank you for taking time for a little ole' shoemaker like me. Your response "truths" have killed my lumpyness approach :) Wood forever here. Plus, homemade charcoal will always burn better because I've been properly trained! Going to configure a biochar burner. Make the black and give it away to my neighbors. Much pride and bragging will ensue about my "homegrown Education"

@duPlus3 Жыл бұрын

What about creosote and other harmful substances produced by charcoal production? I was collecting the left over charcoal from firing birch in winter to use and was advised not to?

@nccrchurchunusual7990 11 ай бұрын

Do I apply this as a topper or mix into soil?

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

@@nccrchurchunusual7990 It only works when in contact with plant roots. Mix it into the soil. Use it in potted plant starts.

@jamohney 10 ай бұрын

Can I soak the biochar in worm tea?, if so, how long would you soak?

@paulkroll7616 10 ай бұрын

You can soak the char 24 hours in water. Or soak the biochar in worm tea for 45 minutes, I don't want to let it sit in an anaerobic tea.

@danbergdoll6800 Жыл бұрын

Do you know if you burn clean mulch if you would get the same results?

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

You can technically but it is much more challenging to maintain the temps and add enough fuel for it to not ash.

@t.dig.2040 Жыл бұрын

I use my seedy weeds, but dried cheat grass would be impossible to cook in a pit. So I use improvised retorts. I like being able to take a cool cooked can and just dump it into the compost and be done with it. No crushing or sifting.

@paulkroll7616 Жыл бұрын

Moisture content is the big problem with burning woodchips. I will throw in a few buckets of chips during dry the end of the dry season, but if the chips are wet, the fire cools down and smokes. Bamboo is ideal and most homeowners are happy to give it away in exchange for maintaining the clump.

@affinitybee8441 4 ай бұрын

Can ash from a pellet stove burning somehow be used to create biochar? I layer my pellet stove ash in the compost pile currently.

@paulkroll7616 4 ай бұрын

No. The wood has burned the carbon in the wood pellets into carbon dioxide already. The ash will have potassium and some other minerals, but no carbon.

@paulkroll7616 3 ай бұрын

Google: FabStove TLUD Clean Cook Stove

@modernwelfare4053 Жыл бұрын

Can you use compost tea for inoculation?

@JohnDoe-jn4ex Жыл бұрын

Yup 👍

@Howtofarmandgarden 10 ай бұрын

If you do not want to make your own, you can get FDA organic certified biochar or compost biochar mix from Genesis Biochar.

@canorth Жыл бұрын

So you want to burn it anaerobically. So, I have a burn pit with good circulation and it’s not easily modified to not do that…. I’m wondering, I work with ceramics sometimes, if I make a closed ceramic container that I could fit in my Weber grill… I think that’d work?

@TheUrbanHarvest Жыл бұрын

I don't think so. The temps would get so hot that it could shatter. But I'm no clay worker...

@t.dig.2040 Жыл бұрын

I have used a lot of old popcorn cans with a ring of holes punched through the lid and have even got as simple as a metal can with an open top flipped upside down. The closed chamber with a fire built around it works great. Just make sure the chamber is vented. Pressure is a bad thing when dealing with explosive gases.