Biochar vs Compost: Which One is Right for Your Garden?

[@Julian_Wang-pai]

Brilliant summary - you explained the basic (simplicity) of the permaculture approach very well. I'm still on my journey of discovery and just lately, I've added a base-layer of composted leaf/twig/branch to our fruit tree mulch grass, leaf, minor compost) and seen positive results as we are now transitioning through flowering into the fruiting phase. I'm in subtropical NE Thailand btw.

[@foreverfoodforest]

I love hearing about how people are adapting these practices all over the world!

[@bethanderson1377]

Thank you for explaining the benefits while explaining that it isn't for every situation nor does it fix everything. Ya, I think the conservancy comes when people over sell something and exaggerate what it can do. Then others feel they need to say it is "no good" because it does not do everything claimed. I do have to say biochar naturally occurs here as wild fires are a natural part of our ecosystem in fact many Florida native plants can't even seed without being burnt smoked or exposed to heat that would only naturally occur in a fire. I guess maybe not in "large amounts" but large amounts aren't good for soil. Too much biochar can actually be harmful if it is too high concentration in the soil and since as you stated it pretty much never goes ways this is something to be aware off.

[@DennisD-yv4ys]

That's awesome! I'm using the ashes from my woodstove in my garden...lots are little chunks too

[@foreverfoodforest]

Nice! Wood ash is a great way to add potassium to your soil!

[@archur111]

Another educational well made video...thank you!

[@whatevahman95]

Great information about biochar. Get well soon.

[@foreverfoodforest]

Thank you!

[@gigs1602]

Educational

[@Severe_CDO_Sufferer]

It's the same things that would be in your compost, (carbon) but in a form that's not water soluble, so it doesn't just dissolve and disappear every summer with the rain, like compost does. I put the crushed up charcoal in my compost pile for several months, so it get's inhabited by all those micro-organisms, and absorbs some of those nutrients that inevitably leach away into the ground under the pile, during the composting process. (and goodies from the wood ash too) It's like a much more persistent form of compost. (and as black as can be) an abundance of pine needles and /or oak leaves in the compost will help balance out the ph in the final product. Good Stuff.

[@TroySovey]

Thank you for the video. I was wondering what brand of wood chipper/shredder you are using in this video and if you recommend it?

[@melissaoleary8196]

Thank you for this! 💕

[@foreverfoodforest]

Glad to help!

[@nicolacupelli2091]

Bravissima. Grazie dall'Italia!

[@rezayaseri2790]

what about Garden soil in desert? which one is more necessary?

[@ArizonaGrows]

I just got a wood chipper. Everything goes back in my garden now. Closed the loop.

[@foreverfoodforest]

Nice! That's the way to do it!

[@Chocamatoes]

Well informed lady. Thank you for sharing.❤

[@foreverfoodforest]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@baneverything5580]

You mentioned sand. I`m experimenting with silty sand from a wash nearby in cardboard boxes to make a new garden area in a spot in my yard where nothing grows that was a gravel parking spot. I put green grass clippings and weeds in the boxes, a big handful of rich living soil, then dumped sand over it. I added organic fertilizer with microbes and bone meal too. My winter greens and mini carrots did well in it. I`m growing pollinator flowers & ground cherries in it when it warms up. I`ve already thrown the seeds there to cold stratify and a few flower plants are already growing and survived the freeze of 14 degrees. I made a row 2 boxes wide (5 feet), 8 inches deep and about 20 feet long in front of a row of my latest fig trees.

[@foreverfoodforest]

Sounds like a great experiment - keep us posted on how it goes! do you have issues with root knot nematodes? They're a huge problem here during summer and destroyed my first in ground fig planting.

[@baneverything5580]

@@foreverfoodforest I saw some on the roots of a plant in my main garden but I haven`t noticed major issues yet and I don`t remember what the plant was. I think it was a weed I pulled. But I`ve been focusing on building soil more than getting a harvest for 2 seasons. They can affect tomatoes, okra, ground cherry & fig trees and mine thrived this past year after my soil health improved and the earthworms were everywhere. To reduce RKN harm to our fig trees in Louisiana we add a lot of organic debris like leaves, twigs, weeds and grass clippings around the tree under the canopy and it slowly creates a mound of rich living soil full of life that out-competes them.

[@baneverything5580]

@@foreverfoodforest LSU Purple Fig is known to be very resistant to root knot nematode. You can use it as root stock to graft several varieties. I`m gonna get one eventually. Right now I`m growing California Brown Turkey (splits bad in Louisiana but tastes like peaches) & some mystery mixup trees that were supposed to be 4 Celeste. Maybe they will fruit this year and I can identify them and hopefully they`re keepers.

[@baneverything5580]

@@foreverfoodforest Look up: "The Root Knot Nematode Bible" post on the Ourfigs forum.

[@Bob-w2b8j]

I have seen a few studies and i think the evidence is not good enough just yet to support going all in on biochar. It does seem like it has some promise particularly for tropical soils, but its more of an experiment still

[@brucejensen3081]

One is for life and nutrients, one for structure. One wont evaporate. Both need to be some what dug in, which can be done, when harvesting root vegetables. Letting nature do the work, you dont really to need to use compost, but its is a handy way to rid waste and make it an assett. I would say biochar is better, until your soil is a few percent biochar, or a bit more, depending on your soils structure. The carbon wont return to the atmosphere in your lifetime, from biochar, and i guess thats good

[@allonesame6467]

Biochar is the "house" for the microbes. Charge the biochar with microbes before adding it to the soil.

[@urbanbackyardcontainergardenin]

💚💚💚

[@SundryTalesOfConstance79WESTY]

Nooice! 😎 STOC

[@bjohnston3659]

Various agricultural schools have studied biochar and each came to the same conclusion: biochar is a boon to tropical soils and do nothing for soils in temperate areas because the bacteria in the soils are so different.

[@RobertVastine]

So not true. I live in a temperate climate and have done my own experiments with biochar in my garden. It makes a huge difference in both the growth of my plants and the resilience to pest and drought. Please post links to the studies you are referring to. I would love to see how they were done.

[@bjohnston3659]

@RobertVastine Canadian Journal of Soil Science, pub 2021, among others. "In temperate agriculture, the impact of biochar is uncertain". You see a benefit because you want to. It's a lot of work for no clear benefit. If you want to do it, go ahead, but don't tell others it's a panacea

[@RobertVastine]

@@bjohnston3659 In your original comment you stated that biochar does nothing for soils in temperate climates, the article you quoted says the impact of biochar is “uncertain”. I have seen positive results in all the various trials I’ve done. It is not any more work for me because I have always burned slash as a way of disposing of overgrown vegetation on our property. The only thing I do different is extinguish the fire vs. letting it burn to ash.

[@bjohnston3659]

​@@RobertVastinefarmers in our area (including me) have been plowing under burned slash and field stubble since before your mom met your dad, and it's a benefit. I don't believe that is what is referred to as "biochar", where they create special set ups and air tight stoves and they bake wood until it's like pure charcoal. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to hear what YOU'RE doing is working I just don't think it's called biochar . Biochar is pure carbon, , and you're putting MORE and varied nutrients in your soil so God bless you. Have you tried a little manure on the burned area? We like a good shot of nitrogen on top of a worked over burn. The jam on the donut you might say Good luck to you and, I hope, no hard feelings, I think you're on the right track

[@bjohnston3659]

@@RobertVastine we're talking about two different things. For generations farmers burn stubble and field trash, then plow it under. It's a good policy and we still do it from time to time, to good effect. But when they talk about "biochar" it's something different than what we do. Biochar is a laborious process to produce something that's almost pure carbon. It's difficult to produce in any real quantities.

[@rezayaseri2790]

💚💚💚💚💚

[@nowonami2524]

gardening has kept you amazingly healthy. like in early twenties. important benefit.

[@foreverfoodforest]

Ha ha! Thank you.

[@WelysonCastro-o3h]

Nice work, working with clay soil aint easy haha 😢

[@foreverfoodforest]

Lots of organic matter and time is key!

[@nickthegardener.1120]

Never use bio char without charging it up first otherwise it'll suck up all the nutrients in the soil.

[@johnliberty3647]

Mix biochar into your compost from the start.

[@mariovella75]

Where's Pat Wild??? 😂

[@foreverfoodforest]

Hibernating through the cold.

[@SlickMajic]

Well actually… 😂😂😂

[@foreverfoodforest]

How it always starts!

[@adeadcrab]

BIOCHAR