STOP BURNING BRUSH!, Make Easy Biochar, Every Pile is an Opportunity!

Every brush pile is an opportunity to make easy soil building biochar, the most long lasting and useful soil amendment. It's almost as easy as just burning the stuff to ash. No brush left uncharred!
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Making biochar is super easy. You can simply light a brush pile from the top, tend it a little as it burns down, and then quench it with water. I prefer to use wood that is about 2 inches and down, stacked in alternating layers, with relatively straight sides. Lighting the brush pile from the top reduces smoke. Fish out the unburned pieces and scoot them to the side to finish. Start quenching the finished char as soon as possible. make sure the charcoal is completely put out before you rake it up and pile it.
Biochar serves many of the purposes of organic matter in the soil, but it never rots. It holds water, catches nutrients, but exchanges them with plants, darkens the soil (earlier warming in the spring) and modifies soil texture. I don't know of any substance that can match biochar at longevity and effectiveness. Making your own is easy, so stop burning your brush and start experimenting with biochar. I have a number of test beds and plots going and plan to put in a lot more. The results are so good so far, that I could use an almost endless amount of the stuff.

[@noel3778]

Despite all of the adverse comments here, I think you did a good job with waste material without letting it dominate the rest of your life. In fact it probably enriched the rest of your life. :)

[@Scp716creativecommons]

Cross stacking means the airways are never blocked off. Great video, thanks for sharing your teachable experiences!

[@lindapolle1665]

Thanks for clueing folks on charcoal. In short charcoal acts like a condo for the soil microbes your soil and plants need. 😚

[@annak804]

Also eats metals that you do not want in your plants and does not release them until the charcoal is fully decomposed

[@gavinjones3637]

Thank you! I have too much tangly, gnarly brush to chip, but it wrenches my gut every time I have to burn it. This gives me a simple, effective, beneficial alternative. Thank you.

[@SkillCult]

Exactly! and it's so easy.

[@Jimaiah3576]

@@SkillCult Is there a good method of turning chipped wood into biochar

[@SkillCult]

@@Jimaiah3576 look up the jolly roger TLUD. Pretty cool.

[@ts694]

I think there may be an optimal sized pile. I burned a 25'x25' pile today that was about 15 ft tall. It took an amazing amount of water and hose time to put out the coals because they were so hot and deep. I think a smaller pile may be more reasonable for the average gardener. Also- how about a fire on a grate over water? As the coals are made, the fall in the water immediately. Very little waste going to ash.

[@SkillCult]

I like to make them as small as possible in terms of the footprint, as long as I don't have to cut the brush, or at least only the occasional piece. I'll bet you have a huge pile of char though! Grate over water sounds interesting if you could figure it out, but seems hard on a large scale. On a smaller pile, you can just set an oscillating sprinkler and run it for a while. I do that with the pit too. Much, much easier and more sure then spraying by hand.

[@juanit0tackit0tackito2]

Trust in Jesus Christ--

[@jhtsurvival]

Why not make multiple small ones..

[@ronallens6204]

@@SkillCult as i was reading this comment, it reminded me of the way charcoal was made in the dark ages... i dont remember the specifics but it sounded alot like your method

[@bobhoward9016]

Good idea, if you're a professional charcoal burner with a permanent location for making char

[@nopartyafilliation5322]

I agree with his method and I have taken burnt ash and put it in my garden bed. I immediately saw the result in a increase in production of vegetables. I think it being in charcoal form probably increases the aeration of the soil,so yes,I will definately give this a try.

[@xXthechameleonXxog]

ash is more like a fertilizer needs to be mixed in sparingly Bio Char can be done in Big layers to simulate forest fire enrichment

[@xXthechameleonXxog]

bio char can also be mixed in if ur not into layering or even mixed in to rest as well as putting a solid layer of bio char under the surface i also recomend putting autum leaves as a top layer it reduces weeds and helps the plants Sustainability

[@nopartyafilliation5322]

@@xXthechameleonXxog Thanks for the reply,I value your thoughts!

[@pyramidion5911]

Less is more with bio char. You don't want anymore than 10% mixed into your soil but ideally it would be closer to 2%.

[@scottnyc6572]

The message is clearer as you listen to the method being explained.The title may come off contradictory at first but when you get the science to it,it’s the most optimal way of adding nutrients to old dirt creating arable soil for growing.I watched the movie The Need To Grow a few years back and biochar was the secret ingredients to growing and getting the largest yields.Thanks

[@davidbarnhart6228]

Interesting vid. I never knew about biochar, even though I've been making it for awhile now, meaning that I tend to put my fire out at camp by covering it with soil long before the coals turn to ash. I'm gonna get a couple 5 gallon buckets and save some for planting. Thanks!

[@SkillCult]

Give it a shot. You'll see a decline the first year if you don't use extra fertilizer as the char sucks up nutrients. Once full it will start to share and hold stuff instead of letting it wash out of the soil. Most people add some nutrients, like compost tea or something to offset that initial drain and add microbes. I usually just use extra soluble fertilizer or whatever else I feed the plants already.

[@Jimaiah3576]

@@SkillCult Would soaking the char in COMFREY tea before adding to the soil be a good idea?

[@no1huntsbetter]

@@Jimaiah3576 I just watched a vid by David the good and he shows how he charges the char. He put it in a compost tea and filled the rest of the way with water and let set for 2weeks.

[@dnldhttnjr]

"Stop burning your brush piles' just stop, stop it." ....as you burn yours to the ground. You gotta love this guy! Not trolling bro, i was honestly laughing my ass off.

[@colleenepage]

I found it kind of annoying.

[@JohnSmith-jt3bh]

Dude me too, its truely amazing how dumb minded ppl are and they dont even realize it. This guy and this vid is a perfect example of it.

[@SkillCult]

@@JohnSmith-jt3bh I think dumb is mostly nurture and less nature. It is likely that you could live down your obsession with the simple play on language used here and move on to glean the very useful information in this video, as most people do evidenced by the most of the comments and the like to dislike ratio. But you have to want to. This might help. idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Artistic+License Good luck!

[@cynthiaayers7696]

Cindy's husband here. I'm an old man and whenever my belly was sore as a kid, I would find some of that their char and eat it to make my belly feel better. It acts like a sponge.

[@SkillCult]

I know that's an old remedy. I have powdered charcoal that take sometimes. It's good at absorbing certain things.

[@mattbarker4921]

Awesome tip. I actually wanted to make use of piles of brush near our property that some people might even pay to get rid of. Thank you. This will be great for the garden

[@defnotsimon1922]

I like how you explained in general what you were trying to do and then got right down to burning. Explaining the nitty gritty and more in depth of the benefits while it was burning made it much more easy to watch. In other words, good job and terrific layout of your content. Subscribed

[@juanit0tackit0tackito2]

Trust in Jesus Christ--

[@stuffbywoody5497]

Sometimes I make charcoal, sometimes I make ash. Both have a multitude of uses. Depending on what my need is (if I have a need at that moment), depends on what I make. EDIT: it also depends on the purpose of burning off. Fire is a tool. Likely most (at least I hope most) people get that, with a few exceptions.

[@WilliamHollinger2019]

Fire indeed a tool because I used it removed unwanted furniture that my family doesn't want also to reduce yard waste

[@Cynical1800]

4:43 I couldn't understand anything he said right here because that fire in background was mesmerizing.

[@ciarfah]

cynical1800 I concur, looks almost cartoonish

[@Ghost_Os]

I was going to say something about that as well. I had to back the video up so I could give his words my full attention.

[@skipgrumblis]

Wish I’d have seen this 3 years ago. I’ve always used ash in my growing endeavors. Learning from the youngin’s everyday. Thanks man.

[@SkillCult]

Ash is great, but it's very short term.

[@4truth69]

Ash is just the minerals in wood very good for plants to pick up and for you to eat.

[@JM-qg1er]

Small amounts of ash are better; owing to it's alklinity too

[@annak804]

Ash is still good but if you have other sources of ash such as heating your home with wood using brush to make charcoal is smarter. Different places have different dirt and need different types of soil amendments, depending on the plants you want to grow. Most plants will be fine with just ash but you have to supply it often as it will wash or blow away the charcoal just helps things stick around longer as it acts as a sponge.

[@JM-qg1er]

looking forward to trying this very soon in a different location from where I live. My current home has tight limitations due to yard layout, etc, that making burning biochar a challenge. I currently use a 55 gallon drum to burn of in this helps to contain fire and direct fire straight up. I could send my green organic waste away, via local govt. service, but would have to pay them to take to make compost that they then sell. That compost can be very dubious in quality because of what others organic waste is made up of. By burning off I at least keep the organic "waste" on site and use it in our garden.

[@davidcoats1037]

Awesome! Great info. I'm going to start doing this and STOP burning my brush into ash for sure. Thanks Steven.

[@SkillCult]

No brush left uncharred! :)

[@bubbysbub]

Burning brush is illegal here in my part of Australia (bush fires destroy whole towns- it's a necessary law) so I bought our family a small, cheap fire pit. I drag home fallen eucalypt branches and such, and we have lovely family evenings by the fire. I get a bucket full from each evening, and I can soak that in worm tea, weed tea, and fish emulsion, add a few handfuls of blood and bone, and use that to help fill my pots. Since I started doing that, my growth has just been amazing, and my water retention has been so much better, so necessary when gardening in pots in Australian heat- on a concrete slab, no less. I think this is a very important message to get out there (though for my neighbours, it's stop THROWING AWAY your green waste and give it to me, please, lols), so keep that message going. Good on you for promoting an easy, free, and highly effective way of improving soils.

[@SkillCult]

Way to adapt. We have fire laws for the same reasons, but there is a wet burn season when it's safe to burn. thanks for the encouragement.

[@jeremywaynevoss6764]

Biochar. This term was introduced to me a few years ago from an educated farmer, Agricultural engineer. He built a few different type barrels system experimenting with efficiency of 'baking' logs to get his biochar, like when you 'burn' some food in the oven. Same thing. That is biochar. This all coincided with all I've done and was shown growing up, as we put the 'ashes' from grills, burn piles, campfires, fireplaces, ... in our compost piles, veggie plots, and 'flower beds'. I realized we've done this all my life. I always saw productive gardens in the gray gumbo of the gulf coast, red 'hard as brick' clay in NW MS, & the calcareous, rocky soils of the Edwards Plateau. Ancient tech or not it is basic organic (carbon) chemistry. Some studies in soil science will help to understand. Biochar makes looser soil, retains carbon in the soil, which is where we want it, and allows for better root development and plant health, which leads to reduced erosion in cases where this is a problem. Regardless, 'stop burning brush'. All my life it hurts me to see huge piles of 'brush' of a clear cut area burning. Such a waste. Find a good system or design for biocharing, (the stacked pile method is likely the easiest, as with composting if you have the space). If you do not have the space, try the baking logs in a barrel. Look it up. Experiment. Stop burning brush. One note to be aware of (which should not be a problem with a pile like Skillcult demonstrated here) is with piles of slash-and-burn agriculture or construction development is the pile gets hot enough to alter the structure of the soil under the pile creating a solid impermeable layer, by 'melting' the silica and clay in the soil. So, stop burning brush! Skillcult, major thanks to you.

[@SkillCult]

Thanks. Ashes and charcoal are both useful if you put them to use. I'm sure that charcoal accumulates for campfires and burn piles and such, but I do think there is a paradigm shift at some point toward burning primarily for charcoal v.s. for ash. It seems like most slash and burn type ag intentionally burns for maximum ash production for short term fertility. That necessitates moving, whereas charcoal makes possible a more permanent fertitlity. Same raw material, but two completely different results. I'm not sure if the cooked soil is a problem. There is some indication that it is actually beneficial. Once it's broken up of course. I have some old accounts that mentioned burned clay soil as a beneficial soil amendment. So, once broken up and incorporated into the soil, it might be of some use. If it even gets that hot, I'm not sure it does.

[@moniquegebeline4350]

SkillCult Ok explain the difference to me like I’m a dummy (I am 🤣) between burning brush, and making biochar? I’m not quite getting it- is it just the method (you showed staking which I wasn’t sure got hot enough but apparently does?)

[@SkillCult]

@@moniquegebeline4350 Hi, I'm just reading back through all this prepping for a video. Sorry I missed your comment. it depends on who you ask, but to me, biochar is any charred plant material used as a soil amendment. I'm just putting the fire out to save most of the charcoal, v.s. letting it burn to ash. If I handed 100 people a box of matches and a pile of brush and said, "burn that brush" and walked away, probably all of them would light it and most would keep tending it until it was almost all burned to ash, thinking that was the objective. It get's plenty hot :)

[@moniquegebeline4350]

SkillCult Ahhhhhhhh ok I got it. We burn a lot here as well and usually do burn it to ash but now that I know the difference and the benefits, well .. I’ll be changing our ways 😂 thanks so much for the reply!

[@ROBLOXTHANOS]

You’ve delivered a fairly solid educational experience here. Thanks

[@TinManKustoms]

I never burn the brush on my 20 acre bush lot. All brush goes through the wood chipper and then spread out on the trails or placed in piles to let it break down and after a year then gets spread out in the feilds or through out the bush.

[@Rattlerjake1]

There is a huge difference between biochar and mulch. Mulch decays over time an eventually must be replenished. Plants feed on the nutrients that are released by the decomposing matter and will eventually use it up if it is not constantly replaced. Biochar is mostly PERMANENT. The process of "cooking" the wood is to get rid of the part of the wood that will decompose while leaving the carbon intact. What this does is to provide surface area for soil microbes to attach to and increase in number as well as holding onto water. Only two things will get rid of biochar in the soil: 1) If the soil is burnt completely, the biochar will burn with it to ash, and 2) flooding can wash the biochar away with the soil. Tilling the soil may break the biochar into smaller pieces but it will not decay away, that is why it is so important. Forest fires naturally make biochar every time they burn through a forest. Make no mistake, biochar an mulch are both equally important, but only mulch (compost) needs to be added repeatedly.

[@bobbrawley2612]

Sounds like a winning idea but I prefer the brush burning method because of the expense of a fast powered chopper I mean gasoline chipper

[@tonysaladino1062]

@@bobbrawley2612 I have read accounts of nature areas using char for the paths. They say that it rarely washes out, or makes any mess, remains weed free for many years and clearly defines the go-no go zones. The patrons love it and they can leave it in larger chunks applying it just the way it comes out of the burn pile.

[@giacomofrattini4456]

Quite cleaver

[@Npouliot]

@@giacomofrattini4456 very knife

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

This is perfect for me, thanks! I have four unruly Bradford pear trees coming down next week, and I'll be using these techniques to make good use of much of that brushy material. And I will also burn some of it right down into ash for the usual purposes. It's my understanding that the small branches and twigs have a higher mineral content than big chunks from trunks and large branches.

[@phillipdarbyshire525]

Don’t burn your brush, then proceeds to burn the whole fuckn pile

[@cindyholton7234]

I totally agree - To make charcoal you restrict oxygen - so it cooks and burns rather than has flames! DOH!

[@shineyrocks390]

Fire loves chaos I just made a huge batch of char for the garden. Two words, Sustainable Permaculture. Stop tilling/killing the soil and start building the soil. All those leaves make and awesome mulch fertilizer, top dressings, if you chop them up they break down better but you can use them whole as well. 👍

[@scottd.1700]

I've got a couple huge piles of brush I've been letting sit through the winter. Was planning on adding the resulting dead wood to the *very* clay-heavy soil in my backyard and begin making my garden beds. Definitely going to do this with one of the piles to help with the soil issues.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

Very similar situation here... heavy clay soil and lots of brush to get rid of. This technique is a win-win for me with a minimum of work.

[@TheCrystylez]

I made charcoal by accident in a metal barrel. My neighbor complained about the fire so I drenched it with water. Now I know how to make it.❤

[@NapoleonGARDENINGTV]

The wood that lit easily is amazing! Biochar is really amazing too. It is nice to know ways how to make biochar. But regulations are starting to appear that burning anything is prohibited.

[@tonysaladino1062]

Pyrolysis, when done properly, creates very few emissions.

[@228Brendon]

I work on a small organic farm in NC that manufactures biochar. It’s not just a great source of soil carbon, but has a very high cation exchange capacity. It prevents leaching of your nutrients and amendments. It saves money. We sell it in 2 cubic foot bags for $50 and people buy it. It’s actually our cash crop

[@SkillCult]

Cool. I have definitely thought that if I get a place that needs a lot of clearing, or have a steady source of wood, it might be worth selling some.

[@ulbushcrafting6592]

holy smokes...I have never heard of this. Thanks for the enlightenment!

[@tonysaladino1062]

I have been teaching people to make biochar for more than fifteen years. It routinely doubles crop production and reduces the need for both fertilization and irrigation by half!

[@jamesahumada4260]

How much water do you need before starting

[@tonysaladino1062]

@@jamesahumada4260 Our last batch made nearly 1,000 pounds and took about 100 gallons to douse it out.

[@tonysaladino1062]

The glowing coals can be buried to exclude air in areas that don't have water.

[@Hatfield_Country]

This is something I've heard of but didn't know exactly how to do it. I think I'll try this for my garden this year.

[@chris27289]

As long as I can still drink beer while burning.

[@SkillCult]

Crrrack fzzzzz.....

[@mbroa2280]

Psssst

[@marvinsauer8493]

Buy a keg, invite friends over, now you don’t need a hose to put fire out!

[@williamshafer1996]

Hey, bro.... Biobeer.....

[@granden2077]

🍻

[@sethwarner2540]

I've been making a Back To Eden Garden, just pile chips of a tree chipper; no watering, no furtilizing, no bugs.

[@ForestWolf58_]

This video is great! First time REALLY paying attention to using coal. I have a 1/2 acre lot and cannot tell you how much brush I have WASTED! You inspired me to make this acre and a half as fertile as I possibly can. Thanks. ⚔️⛪️🇺🇸🏡

[@annak804]

Keep the ground covered with plants then anything will do soil left uncovered deteriorates

[@Ozbird-72]

Excellent video... There is so many misunderstandings about this your nailed it... Simple solution, no tech or charcoal burners involved... Just a change of method

[@DarkHalmut]

"Stop burning your brush" Burns brush.

[@johndowe7003]

just snother dumb guy, that is discovering slash and burn lol

[@SkillCult]

If you have evidence that classic slash and burn agriculture is about carbon production for long term soil improvement and not about quick nutrient release for short term crops, I'm interested. If I'm not aware of it, it doesn't make me an idiot. My new definition of an idiot is anyone that can watch me talk about anything for five minutes and think I'm an idiot, lol. I think your mom is calling you.

[@johndowe7003]

not trolling lol, ancient people have been burning there slash piles for centuries. wither or not they knew exactly how it worked is a different story. this is some "revolutionary new concept" just re discovering of the wheel per se aslo lookup terra negra same shit

[@planetbob4709]

Terra Preta and you can be sure the ancient civilization in brazil did know how to use biochar. They used the technology for around 1000 years or more. I think I saw somewhere that scientist can only carbon date charcoal back 1000 years. Which means the ancient brazilians probably used the tech for a lot longer than 1000 year.

[@johndowe7003]

thanks bud lol, wasnt gonna bother trying to get through to tht guy, but yeah in essence youre correct, thank you

[@newfreenayshaun6651]

Thank you for your hard work and research in this subject, it will come in handy when I get out to the yard and start working on my burn pile. Yes, I said burn pile. Not to get rid of it, I need black dirt. Great job defending yourself in these comments and remembering that everyone else is just about lost at this point for all that we've been taken care of for, over the last several hundred years . People don't understand hard work, but it's right there in front of us and the sooner we get to it the better

[@eachday9538]

This is timely, I made my first batch of charcoal over the weekend. Suburban backyard woody cuttings (mostly bamboo stumps actually). Used a variation of your trench method in a large concrete pot. Worked great, but required very regular maintenance and tended to snuff itself out and create lots of smoke if given half a chance (being that I was trying to limit oxygen availability to the bulk of the fuel under the flame barrier). All it took to get it going again was blow some air into it. But, I don't want to upset the neighbours, so did some more research and found a super simple top lit up updraft method in a drum with holes around the base. Once going, a second drum with no base and holes around it's bottom rim is sat on top of the first drum to act as an afterburner. I couldn't get my head around it at first, but now see that everything above the downward moving flame is in pyrolitic zone. The top drum retains ignition heat while still allowing enough oxygen to mix with unburnt gas above the fuel. Without the second drum the unburnt gas meets air but has lost too much heat to ignite and burn off. The process is completed by blocking the bottom air holes when the red coals can be seen building up at in the base. I've seen another 2 drum method that uses a smaller upside down drum that acts as the pyrolitic zone inside a bigger drum. But it seems to need more fuel that is not contributing to charcoal bulk just for heating and doesn't have an afterburner for smoke management.

[@SkillCult]

The TLUDS are really cool. I have had some drums sitting around to make one for a few years, but haven't gotten around to it. By all accounts, they require somewhat consistent sized feedstock, which is one of the reasons I like the piles and pit methods. I do get stuff that could be burned in a tlud though, including chips from the cordwood challenge and occasionally I can score chips from tree service dumps. The retort style uses up wood to make the charcoal, but produces a different kind of charcoal that is harder and better for industrial uses. As to which is better for biochar, I've heard advocates for both types.

[@pingpong9656]

Doesn't concrete explode?

[@lonniesrc7890]

I love it!! I have an outdoor wood burning boiler and have been throwing away small bits of charcoal along with the ashes for 17 years. What a waste! I'm going to build a shaker screen to sift out the biochar from now on!! Thanks!

[@SkillCult]

That's what I do, just screen all woodashes. It adds up eventurally. Ash is good fertilizer too, though maybe too alkaline in very high ph soils.

[@Superheavy420]

Hey, I use the ashes in my liquid fertilizer compost. I totally agree about the charcoal idea because of how it helps filter the soil like a carb filter. Because the plants like filtered water too. Thanks for having something in common. I grow marijuana and produce.

[@UserUser-ke4ti]

Do you eat your pot?

[@Superheavy420]

@@UserUser-ke4ti No. I smoke it mostly. Occasionally I will eat some candy or something with thc involved. I drink hemp protein drinks occasionally as well.

[@JM-qg1er]

Is it possible to make home made hemp seed oil? Here in Australia it is currently illegal for the average Joe to grow it, however if I am ever able to hemp seed oil is a great product to make in place of having to buy it

[@timothyandrewnielsen]

Can you eat pot when youre hungry?

[@dirtfarmer4885]

Bio char is great. I like to activate it with bacteria before mixing with soil.

[@joshgreen8986]

What bacteria do you use and where do you get it? Thanks in advance!

[@sid2112]

Been doing this for my garden for years. The old ways work best for the small venues.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

Yep. I've seen people make some fairly complicated retorts out of old drums and such on a small scale, and honestly they don't seem to really get that much more out of it. IMO they just kinda wasted a couple perfectly good metal drums. Because that thin steel does get burned up pretty quick, and then next year or the year after you have to make another one... too much work for me LOL.

[@williemaykit7940]

I’m going to give it a try for one of my raised beds. Nothing to lose and I still have my compost going also.

[@tropicalseasponges8925]

Cool video. I was sent over by David the Good to watch this.

[@SkillCult]

DTG Rocks.

[@Nobody-Nowhere-USA]

Two things I would add to your wonderful method , never burn your pile in the garden because the heat will kill microbes in your soil. If you have an airtight wood burning stove you will make some charcoal and should remove it for your garden every time you make a new fire! Great content!

[@SkillCult]

Good points. I have gleaned quite a bit of char from my woodstoves over the years. Check out edible acres method of woodstove biochar. Very cool. Cheers.

[@JupiterFerrari]

Excellent information, quality video. This information applies to the high mountain terrain I will be gardening in. Thanks SkillCult!

[@lordlucan66]

Thanks for this information. This is what I love about KZbin. I don't get a great deal of brush in my tiny house in England but what I do get will be going on my new charcoal pile. Excellent information

[@SkillCult]

check out the trench or pit method too. it's a little more lowkey and works great, especially for larger sticks and branches.

[@chriscastle683]

Oregon archaeologists refer to the natives reliance on fire to renew, replenish and rebuild their surroundings as "pyro-culture". C

[@SkillCult]

I like it. I've been saying char-culture.

[@uprightfossil6673]

Heard about biochar and it works for my clay soil. It is now nearly black. I make small piles all over the garden to kill off weed seeds and lots of small fires with freshly pruned branches that won’t burn through. The charcoal falls to the ground as I turn the fire to burn the ground. I do this in the winter because you need some time for the charcoal to become biochar. I also don’t have a lot of time so I use my flame thrower and will burn two or three times before spring planting.

[@clearsoundjohn]

Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to share this. Appreciate it !-Fellow Gardner in mountains of AZ.-

[@truthsurfer6062]

I bought 10 acres in the mountains where the seller put poison on several acres of lawns like he was in the city. I have acres of slash….i want to use this method…i am excited to try this… I have so much area to replenish….i hope to get a few tinyhome gardeners to come and garden….but for now i will dig some pits in the garden and try this. I am confused but i think i am going to watch the video in your comment section again

[@edibleacres]

I appreciate the speed with which you are able to process the material with this method, but from the looks of it you really do have a lot more ash than would be ideal and for that amount of raw material going in I'm surprised how small of a volume you are left with. This feels like a hybrid between burning brush and charcoal making. The speed of brush burning old school very ashy and having some good charcoal at the end which is nice. I'm wondering why you seem to be moving away from cone pit method? The trench style you were exploring seemed to be a solid conversion to cleaner charcoal...

[@SkillCult]

It's just a matter of accessibility and amount of work. I took most of the large wood out of that batch, so it was probably not nearly as much mass as it looked like. I really like the cone trench, but it doesn't work all that well for this type of brush because of the tangly nature. Most stuff that fits well in the pit goes in the pit. I find it pretty hard to judge how efficient conversion is, but overall impression is that both are surprisingly efficient, typically producing amounts around 75 to 100 gallons in a manageable size/time. The pit being about 8 plus feet long and burning it till it's full most of the way to the top. After going through my own process of finding out about biochar, waiting around for myself to get around to building some kind of charring apparatus and then finding these methods, I'm all about accessibility and work/conversion ratio. I like the method that we can actually get done as busy people with lots of other work to do, and for me at least unlimited amounts of brush in need of cutting. It would be interesting to do a study of the conversion ratio,, but it would be a ton of work, because everything would have to be weighed and unless great care was taken with moisture levels, the results could still be way off. The pit also produces quite a bit of ash along the way. I think it also depends on the size of the fuel. This fuel is very twiggy and leafy and more surface area per given bulk, probably means more ash produced. Like I said in the video, I expected more and think the low amount was due to spending a lot more time trimming branches out for the trench, which I think was a mistake in terms of energy spent to charcoal produced. I've never had a pile produce that little charcoal for it's size and I don't think here was really a huge amount of much ash produced. Looking at the options, I imagine TLUDs have a higher material to charcoal conversion (less ash). Retorts that use fuel to heat the wood can't be a very high conversion, and these methods I would guess are somewhere between the two, probably leaning toward the retort. Just my guess. From then we get into other questions about the type of char produced and it's efficacy which is totally relevant since we're burning for a particular use. BUT, I really do think it's all about accessibility for most people and how that affects whether we are getting it done or not. Now we need some really accessible grinding methods! So, to summarize, to convert this tangly brush into char with a pit, I'd have to drag it to the pit, which is a huge amount of extra work and if for all I know may produce even less char. If I dig a pit on site, also a lot more work. It's not un-doable and I would definitely consider is if it worked well and there was enough brush in the area to do at least two or three burns. But, this stuff really doesn't work in the pit all that well. I do put tanoak branches in the trench sometimes, but a whole burn of them would be slow and annoying, and may actually produce quite a bit of ash. To burn it any other way I know of, would require at least some size reduction, chipping etc, which only MIGHT increase conversion efficiency significantly. In my context, ease and speed are more important due to the large quantities of brush that needs cutting and disposal. I should probably do a video discussing all of that. Have you used the trench method? I do really like it and generally prefer it when the material is a good match.

[@SkillCult]

That link is an advertisement of some kind. I think I said most of it above, it's all about context. I actually have thought the open pile and trench to both be remarkably efficient, though there is still obviously a significant loss.

[@scottscott9150]

SkillCult how strange I copied directly from the video link last time. must have been hihacked somehow. fixed the link. worth the watch if you hadn't seen it.

[@davidpruden7421]

Play the video

[@ILikeTurtlesJah]

ash is also great for soil

[@SevenSixTwo2012]

Having a small property and no trees ready to be cut, I bought a few bags of natural charcoal at a hardware store last spring. I crushed it into small pieces and buried it in my garden beds, along with some home made compost and top soil. The vegetables were indeed doing extremely well last summer and the tomatoes were producing up until the frost came. I'm not sure how much exactly the charcoal helped though, as my hugelkultur raised garden beds are fairly recent and loaded with good organic stuff like compost and tree logs / branches at the bottom (see the "Self Sufficient Me" channel for how to make them). In hugelkultur, the "magic" of that system gets self-optimized after a few years.

[@SkillCult]

It really takes a somewhat controlled experiment to get a good A/B comparison. hugle and char seems like a great combo.

[@Prairiedrifter1]

4:44 that’s the coolest fire I’ve seen

[@wbwills2]

Fire is pumping around 4:50. KILLER!love the different personalities of fires.

[@andrewpearce6082]

Great video and you have definitely convinced me of the benefits. It looks so easy to do I'm going to give it a shot, thank you. One question if I may though, please: I am in UK and am surrounded by rhododendron which is very acidic and I am forever cutting it back, so that is what my brush piles will mostly consist of. It's so acidic that it kills everything around it, and no grass can possibly grow underneath it; nothing can except more rhododendron. Is all the rhododendron that I burn suitable for making biochar, or will the acidity carry through to my vegetable beds and do more harm than good?

[@SkillCult]

I would not worry about anything like that as long as it's well charred. It may not be acid either. I don't know about rhodedendrons, but many plants excrete other chemicals to kill off competition. Once charred, I bet it will raise your ph if anything.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

The char itself should be pH neutral (or real close to it) regardless of what wood you burn, assuming it's fully pyrolized. The whole point is that you're left with just carbon. Wood ash is almost always strongly alkaline AFAIK; I don't know if starting with an acidic material makes a difference or not, but I doubt it. Burn two different small piles and pH test the ash from the acidic rhododendron wood compared to some other wood, then you'll know for sure.

[@vikingrobot4179]

I’ve been burning a lot of brush for years but I end up getting mostly char because I burn the fire hot and big and just keep throwing fuel stick and logs on. At the end of each burn session I douse it well with water and come back on a dry day to shovel out about 3-4 large wheel barrows full of char. I’ve been dumping it in raised bed type sections that run along my fence line. I started throwing a couple shovels full of soil on top and also throwing compost in there and letting it do it’s thing after a few turns with the shovel. I haven’t used it yet for my garden but this year I plan to use it for all my vegetables and my super hot pepper soils. I also have access to a manure pile from a local livestock auction where I get some manure for my mix. I hope to have really good results with it this season.

[@SkillCult]

Cool, I've done that too and it's pretty much what I'm doing here. You might try the stack and burn from the top thing, it's pretty cool. You can still throw more stuff on it when it burns down.

[@vikingrobot4179]

@@SkillCult I’ve tried that as well .

[@Kobe29261]

Thank you! Also you are what I imagine when I think 'cool, sharp dude'

[@getivan]

I skimmed through your pinned comment, and I still think it's necessary to point-out that this isn't technically BioChar or a Charcoal making process. It seems like there are parts of your brush pile, which have been residually charred, but in order to actually char bio material, to my knowledge, you have to have a kiln that heats up your material, without directly incinerating its contents. So, in order for this to be really effective, you would have to place your brush into a metal bin of some kind, and then place that inside your kiln, followed by initiating a strong fire inside your kiln. It's interesting that you are claiming results, because with raw biochar you should technically be seeing no results at-all, and that's because it's not yet activated, which tells me that your materials are not fully charred, which is probably the origin of the nutrients you are seeing benefits from. I guess it could also be that the material is absorbing nutrients from the soil, and microbes are working, even without proper food, though. (not sure) Once you have fully prepared biochar, you have to activate it (I.E. activated charcoal) by mixing it with grass or flour or molasses, etc, and let it sit like a compost for some months, so that microbes can break down the mixed nutrients, and the charcoal can absorb all those nutrients into itself. I certainly see that you've got some charred material, there, from the surrounding heat, so that's something, but it's not the same as the typical and concentrated process, and you still need to activate it with bio matter. It's not Biochar, because you made charcoal out of bio material, it's called Biochar, because you can break apart your charcoal, and then mix it with other bio material for re-absorption of nutrients, courtesy of microbial decomposition. (*pushes up glasses on nose bridge*) :p In any case... I wish you well! :)

[@gursongurson1397]

Instead of burning that much you can make a mud hut with narrow chimney it will give you more production and less ash

[@SkillCult]

Way too much work for not enough gain with this material.

[@SkillCult]

yes, thank you sane person :)

[@One-dq5tj]

Well that might work for farmers that do it that would have access to machinery to do it quickly but for regular people thats not exactly an easy task

[@Field.Marshal.]

Would be really difficult to chop everything to pieces then stuff it into a tiny hole for hours on end. Supply and demand.

[@bloodseedrums]

@@Field.Marshal. use a 55g drum like most people do

[@vincentjackson3472]

Top notch information and video my friend! Cheers from New Zealand!

[@johnwildermuth3136]

Just t'other day I was giving a friend a bad time for burning off brush piles and sending the nutrients from his land off into the atmosphere.

[@SkillCult]

Well, burning to ash can offer a short term release of nutrients. Rotting vegetation is also fairly transient, though it supports a lot of life I guess. Charcoal lasts indefinitely though.

[@jasminflower3814]

Can't you use all the ash in your garden?

[@user-lq1dk6gr3p]

@@jasminflower3814 did you read what he said

[@jasminflower3814]

@@user-lq1dk6gr3p What who said?

[@johnschultz7633]

You kidding me I'd love to hang out with this guy Intelligent but not pretentious And chuckle here and there

[@richavic4520]

I always wondered why it takes four years of college to teach Civil Engineers that water flows downhill.

[@claireomeara2620]

🤣

[@goingveganmyspiritualjourn2893]

Awesome video I do this with trees in every yard by digging a 6 foot deep hole by 6 foot deep by 4 feet wide drop in the tree parts burn to char cover with a layer of dirt and repeat till I fill the top layer level with the ground. And my food grows amazingly

[@SkillCult]

Awesome. I've done that a little as well. I call them catch pits. Everything that builds soil goes in there along with charcoal and dirt in a certain proportion, or like you say, burning in the pit and throwing dirt on it to put it out.

[@goingveganmyspiritualjourn2893]

@@SkillCult yep I let it burn till it become charcoal then I put a 3 in layer of dirt give it a quick wetting drop the next load of trees and brush in and repeat that till I fill up the 6 feet depth. As this provides over 40 years of growth for what is planted there. It is so good that the tribe in Africa where I first watched the documentary of took a desert piece of land and did this over the size of 3 city blocks and life sprung up from the desert floor. Growing them the wood to build their homes and provided decades of food for them. Was truly amazing to watch

[@sindrerudshaug]

"Dont burn your brush" - dudes goes on to burning his brush.

[@thornyarms9243]

You beat me to it lol

[@projectmalus]

I can see how twelve foot handles on a fork and rake might be nice to have when doing this. My first cone pit burn mid March used dry 2" spruce forest thinnings that had died from lack of light, about 10 cubic feet which turned into 8 gallons uncrushed char. It smoked a fair bit but that could be from burning its way down thru 2.5 feet of snow. My second burn was trench style using more dead spruce and quite a bit of half rotten 4" birch, worked better because it was on the ground in a shallow trench, but the wood really needs to be bone dry. The snow is handy for putting it out. Since then I've been doing the can inside the woodstove way, see Edible Acres video, using fresh birch 1-2" thick branches which makes nice char probably good enough for a forge although I'm no expert. The can, trench and brush pile burns all seem quite good, whatever's appropriate for the wood supply and neighborhood I guess. Actually using the heat from a burn is tricky since its so off and on...one way might be charging up a thermal mass for a greenhouse.

[@SkillCult]

as long as you don't mind ruining the temper in your fork and rake. I should have mentioned something, but I was moving that rake around enough to keep it from overheating and it wasn't that hot. But yeah, it would be super nice. Might be worth sacrificing a crappy digging fork and cheap rake. I do it enough to warrant it. The can in the stove should make much harder charcoal and better for industrial uses than any open method. This stuff is very soft. There is debate about what is better, but i'm all about how easy it is to make with what I have.

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

Interesting....I'll give it a try, your pinned comment shows me that ya may wanna consider a higher level of tolerance for folks. Negativity only breeds more negativity my brotha...keep up the good work....but remember folks will jump all over ya if you'll give them an argument lol For sure I'll be experimenting with this in the garden this year

[@SkillCult]

Probably, thanks for trying to check me lol.

[@harrymills2770]

@@SkillCult This is why great players tend not to make great coaches. Motivating learning is a big part of it. But I'd rather learn from some crusty bastard who's good at doing stuff.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

Meh. I think his pinned comment is absolutely spot-on. It gets real, REAL old explaining the painfully-obvious to people who clearly aren't trying to learn, they're just looking to make a smart-ass comment to boost themselves up somehow. Pissing off those people will cost you likes and popularity, so if that's what you're after, by all means suck up to them. If you're really just sharing information, the people who are genuinely interested won't even be affected by such a message... unless they just feel like scolding a grown man to boost themselves up somehow. Incidentally this vid has over half a million views and almost 9K likes... which is pretty dang good for a vid of this type. So I don't exactly think he's shot himself in the foot by being (perhaps a bit brutally) honest, anyway.

[@sbffsbrarbrr]

@@dogslobbergardens6606 Completely agree with you. So often I've read questions in comment sections that are clearly explained in the video or can be easily checked out on line. People can be lazy and others enjoy thinking they are one upping someone with snarky comments. The rest of us just appreciate useful information, then move on to learn more.

[@cenccenc946]

I live on a property that already has this in the soil. About 100+ years ago, the land was cleared by burning the forest. about 24 inches down, I find lots of charred wood. which ironically probably causes the problem of me needing to constantly burn brush because the trees and bushes in my yard grow really fast. 😆

[@pottsjk]

I appreciate your perspective and commitment. Thanks for showing a low tech method of making charcoal. I agree with you, that all biomass can, and should, be cycled back into the soil. And this way, you capture more carbon than you release into the atmosphere. I do have a bone to pick with you though. That's not Bio - Char until you add the biological component (compost tea, urine, manures, etc). How are you introducing the bio to your char? Are you charging your charcoal? In my experience, if you do not charge the charcoal first, it has a net negative effect on the nutrient cycling in the soil. It will actually pull nutrients from the soil, from your plants, and hold it, until it's fully charged, which is the opposite effect most people are aiming for. You can actually measure this effect by taking soil samples before and after amending with pure charcoal. I charge my charcoal by soaking it in a combination of urine and compost tea, for at least 2 weeks, 3-4 if I have the time. You can measure this effect too. And you'll notice a very marked, drastic I'd say, difference in charcoal amendment VS Biochar.

[@SkillCult]

Well, words are not things as i like to say. I've also been told it's not biochar if it's not burned a certain way and that it isn't charcoal when burned that way. I would argue that if it's going to be used in the soil, calling it biochar is acceptable, but I actually would prefer a different term, such as agrochar. But people already know biochar. As far as charging v.s. not, In the long run, there seems to be the same effect, so I could just say that burying raw char I just charge my char over a longer period of time. I sort of charge in the sense that I add extra fertilizers and stuff when digging char in. But it evens out pretty fast in my limited experience when buried raw. I don't charge before I add to the soil, because it has proven unnecessary so far. I seem to get as good or better crops in the first year simply by upping amendments and usually some extra soluble fertilizer like Urine or manure teas. I'm planning to do a video on that. I have experienced the deficit effect, but it didn't last past the first crop or two.

[@pottsjk]

@@SkillCult I'd be interested to know what region you live in, or at least the nature of your habitat. Your soil must be abundantly alive. I have used similar low tech brush methods in the rich and diverse Black Mountain area of NC, and it is as you say, a temporary deficit, that can be remediated in place. I've also used it in the pure sandy soil of SC and there it becomes an absolutely essential practice to charge the charcoal. Sand has such a low CEC, nutrients and water leech rapidly. So, the soil you start with means a great deal. In both instances, inoculating with some fungal spawn, preferably something edible in my opinion, like wine caps or Phoenix oysters, or whatever local fungi that makes sense for your planting matrix, is like pushing a nutrient cycling gas peddle, especially if your using some kind of Heugelkultur system. Anyway, thanks for entertaining my question. I really do appreciate your message and practice.

[@SkillCult]

I'm in Northern California, mountiains, high-ish rainfall, cool but not super cold winters. The soil is a good loam base, but it's not naturally very fertile and the rain washes out a lot. I'm often working with established garden beds though. The first experiment I put in raw char just to find out what would happen. I may have added compost, but I may also have just top dressed, I don't remember. The bed is two percentages of char and a control section. The first crop was awful, except the peas. It was basically a graph showing how much the char made plant growth stunted by slurping up everything. But it quickly reversed and now it is a graph that is inverse to the first one with I estimate about 400 to 600% more growth in the char section. I don't need more things to do, so I just started adding extra stuff when I dig it in and I tend to use extra liquid manures on it. I haven't had a stunted crop the first year since that first experiment. I figure that if I provide food for the bugs and it's wet that the bugs will multiply. I do often add some forest duff and sometimes liquid manures in the trench. The only real difference to me is that I'm not using anything really specific and I'm maturing the char in the ground. I only really care about the results. One thing I think we can be sure of is that whatever we put into the soil, things are going to change and conditions combined with available soil food will shape what does and doesn't grow. It suits my style and resources to take a shotgun approach and anything else would be proceeding on faith anyway, unless I do some type of controlled comparisons. Also, I'm always thinking long, so I figure it will sort itself out. So far so good I guess! Thanks for the thoughtful comments and for being a normal civil person :)

[@pottsjk]

@@SkillCult Of course, you're welcome, and thank you as well, for civil discourse. With this subject, in particular, (low tech regenerative forest gardening), it seems like everything we do is experimental, or more like voodoo. I've become much more conservative, and concise, about claims I make about observable effects because, as you mentioned, there are so many variables in soil ecology, it's damn near impossible to really measure each one. You'd need a freaking lab and a professional staff of researchers. And, also, as you say, time is precious. I've also discovered that the soil does seem to work itself out, the closer we come to mimicking nature. I use soil duff too, it's loaded with mycorrhizae, other ecto/endo phytes, saprophytes, etc. I've had success with this kind of intuitive soil building. Biochar though was/is a mysterious element that is taking a lot time to truly understand. BTW, I also use the Char for grey water filtration systems. I haven't really checked out your video list (I'll do so after posting this), but it seems like you're basically using Hugelkultur tech as well. This has also been a huge piece for me.

[@howtogetoutofbabylon8978]

@@pottsjk Very good interchange, you two. Kudos to you BOTH!!!

[@DavidPimentel]

"Stop burning your brush, piles" says the man who then lights his brush pile on fire. The irony is not lost with the choice of words.

[@SkillCult]

Read the pinned comment.

[@matthewgibby]

Thanks for the great video. I get regular deliveries of wood chips that I use in the orchard but many times I get a lot of logs with it as well. Was going to just use the logs for firewood (campfire mostly) and maybe some hugelbeds . After watching this, maybe i should rake out the char pieces from the fire before they turn to ash and bury it in the orchard under the wood chips.

[@SkillCult]

I think that is a good idea. There is no substitute for organic matter, but charcoal is probably more useful. It can still be applied as a mulch too and allowed to just slowly incorporate into the soil. If I was doing hugelculture, I'd char at least 3/4 of the wood. You lose over half the bulk and retain about 50% of the carbon according to what I've read. Then your hugelbed lasts forever instead of being a relative flash in the pan. There are a lot of creative possibilities.

[@matthewgibby]

Great thoughts. Much appreciated.

[@lisakukla459]

I'm glad I saw this in time. I'm about to have an unmaintained quarter acre's worth of brush. I figured half of it would be fully composted on it's own by the time I got the other half chipped into mulch. Seems like a much better use of my time to char the stuff and move on to more important tasks, like getting the beds built and fences repaired, and just bring back a load of wood chips from the city every week. By last frost I could probably have accumulated a pretty good amount, without wasting all that time feeding single branches into a piddly home chipper. Your idea is much better than mine.

[@SkillCult]

Home chippers are slow. Big ones are expensive to rent, which is one reason I never chip. It's nice to have some chips around, but like you, I can get a few off the property here and there.

[@SkillCult]

READ THIS BEFORE COMMENTING AS YOUR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ARE VERY LIKELY ADDRESSED. "BUT YOU'RE BURNING YOUR BRUSH, WTF?" Fortunately, it's still the minority that miss the forest for the grammar. They are just loud. I'm perfectly aware that I'm using burn in two different ways and that it is intentional. If you ask a bunch of average people to burn a brush pile, hand them a match and walk away, you will come back to a pile of ash. If I said, so and so was "burning brush" today, to almost anyone familiar with burning brush piles, they will assume that so and so is disposing of the brush by burning it to ash. This is the common cultural meaning and interpretation of burning brush, with very few exceptions (though hopefully this video will help change that). I used the approach of saying stop burning brush in that context and also to get clicks due to the apparent contradiction, so that this method will spread. The title has worked judging from the rising view count and like to dislike ratio, as well as personal communications with people that use this method now NONE OF WHOM USED IT BEFORE WATCHING THIS VIDEO. Grammarism is a terrible disease. If you need everything spelled out for you in the plainest possible terms, you are missing most of what the world has to offer. Take that to heart, it's true. If anything, when we use language creatively and create a little turbulence, it opens an opportunity to expand our perspective and think. I'm not willing to sink to the dumbest common denominator to appease a few people who prefer a very simple world view with no nuance, where everything is rigidly predefined for them. All the relevant information is in the video, you just have to extract it. Obsessing over language accuracy to the exclusion of what someone is actually communicating is a sure way to narrow your world view and dumb down interactions. WORDS ARE NOT THINGS, they are symbolic tools to be used creatively as needed and can be used to challenge us, not just to provide a common framework. If I do a biochar presentation to a class of third graders, I would probably use more qualifying language regarding burning to ash vs burning for char, but I'd like to not have to for adults. And the fact that I didn't dumb it down for you speaks to my confidence in your to figure it out, though there is not much to figure out. AM I SAYING ASHES ARE BAD? No, but IF THE GOAL IS TO MAKE CHAR, THEN LESS ASH IS BETTER. They are a very useful fertilizer. But I've used piles and piles of ashes on my garden for decades (still do) and it is a valuable, but transient fertilizer that does not have much lasting effect. Charcoal can last in the soil for centuries and seems to make better use of fertilizers added to the soil afterward. There are very few things that you can do to a garden soil that have a lasting effect, which is why you should be interested in charcoal as a soil amendment. If you want to know more, watch this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZKkq3ekg6ufeM0 There is significant ash production using this method, and it will be beneficial for most soils, but many of the useful minerals, notably potash and calcium as lime, are water soluble and will likely largely be depleted by quenching with water. Personally, having seen the benefits of char that I have, I'm WAY more interested in making char than ashes. I get plenty of ashes from my woodstove to supply my garden and most beds get at least one dressing of wood ash a year. Ashes are the basis of slash and burn agriculture, which requires moving every few years as the nutrient from the ash is depleted quickly. Char soils are a basis for long term farming in one area and ancient char soils are still more fertile than surrounding areas. You can research the African Dark Earths and Terra Preta for more compelling information on that. THIS IS, OR ISN'T CHARCOAL OR BIOCHAR: regarding comments about whether this is biochar or not or is or isn't charcoal, same thing with the language issue. I'm talking about making a product that seems to work well for me and is made and used by many others as well. We could talk about that, or we can talk about the terminology, but it rarely seems to be both. If you want to get specific with terminology, at least tell me what the 50 gallons of black stuff I harvested from this pile should be called if not charcoal or biochar, and why it matters. Then we have a relevant discussion, not just some grammarism b.s. Personally, I'd like to live in a culture that has a dozen words for char, like the eskimo have many words for different snow, but currently I don't. THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO MAKE CHAR BETTER OR MORE EFFICIENTLY, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO THIS OR THAT, OR BUILD THIS OR THAT: Regarding other methods that may have a higher conversion efficiency, or are more pyrolitic, with lower oxygen, watch this follow up video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnuxpmSdmqyIbKM This isn't my first rodeo. I'm well aware that there are other methods, but there are reasons I use this one a lot. Or if you want the long nerdy written version: skillcult.com/blog/2017/5/14/considering-biochar-burning-methods-conversion-vs-context This is one of the most watched biochar vids on youtube and I know it has had a big positive effect and I hope the ripple effects continue. Thanks for watching and sharing!

[@johnbrodeur3528]

Thanks for this idea , it will be a win win ,I will get to reduce the brush pile and add it to a malnourished garden and my wife will get to spray the water hose to make sure it goes out...lol

[@surefiremushroomsmicrogreens]

If you were me, I wouldn’t give a shit what people have to say because all they have to say is words. Just show them and if they can’t figure it out then they need to learn more about comprehension before they continue to watch shit their brain can’t comprehend. Good video brother ✊

[@williamterry3177]

Thank you for enlightening me on your burning method. New to my wooded acreage, I will start paying attention. I always burned to ash, not knowing I was getting rid of the best part. As this is the beginning of my retirement adventure I look forward to brush to char. Without your video I would have been stuck in the brush to ash.

[@SkillCult]

Hi William. Ash is great as a short term fertilizer. More here kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5alfquhlMyola8 But charcoal lasts and ash doesn't.

[@andrewgreen2059]

Tl; Dr

[@ClintsHobbiesDIY]

Very informative vid. I have a garden and plenty of brush. I will do the same to my garden. Thank you very much.

[@thomasfrye8996]

Dude you are informatively hilarious

[@minggnim]

“Clickbait is a text or a thumbnail link that is designed to attract attention and to entice users to follow that link and read, view, or listen to the linked piece of online content, being typically deceptive, sensationalized, or otherwise misleading.”

[@davidthegood]

This is awesome. I'm sharing it on my site, plus I'll give you a plug when I do a vid burning the pile I started gathering today. Are you smashing this up before application? I've just been putting it in, except for smashing big pieces.

[@SkillCult]

I think it's probably better to smash it. My rule of thumb is corn sized and down. Still don't have a great way to do that though. I'd like to work on that problem. Odalaigh in the comments here built a cool shredder, but it requires welding. We need some really accessible DIY options that are reasonably efficient. I don't mind stomping on it for a while, but I have about 450 gallons accumulated waiting to be crushed and used.

[@oxbowfarm5803]

I'm moving towards a trommel type thing. There's a design on YT where folks make a 55 gallong barrel based trommel that bolts/hooks onto the end of a cement mixer. So I"m thinking a 1/2" mesh trommel with some wood chunks mixed in to act as crushers. Then you just set it up and let the thing run till most of the char is smashed small enough to drop through. Does require a cement mixer though, but you could make a dedicated trommel with an appropriate motor. The nice thing about this type of high temp aerobic burned char is it is very easy to break up smaller vs the low temperature retort stuff which is much harder and glassier.

[@SkillCult]

Never heard of a trommel, but that sounds about like what I'm thinking as well, like a perforated ball mill.

[@howtogetoutofbabylon8978]

@@SkillCult Right, It sounded like he was describing a Ball Mill. You Are right on in stating that we need simple, efficient, low tech ways to do this and many other things. That is my Forte: Code Cracking how to do things simple, cheap, efficient. I'm working on Splitting Firewood. Have a Looong series on that. Also a Looong PLAYLIST and I DELIBERATELY put your video on ground splitting FIRST!!! So I love your Just use ONE freaking Axe approach. I have a growing collection of Mauls and splitting Axes...but my ONLY CUTTING Axe is an Estwing Camp Axe. I want to get a Real One some day. What would be your recommendation for a first, and maybe only Axe? Don't tell me to get an Ox, probably looking at $200.00 tops. How about anything in the $100.00 range? BTW, I am 65 and just started SPLITTING Firewood three months ago... and ACTUALLY exercising to stay alive... I was a fat old man. Now I'm trying to get into the best shape of my life to enjoy the days ahead...

[@houndsong]

@@SkillCult Do you drive a vehicle? Do you have a driveway? Consider how to store char chunks on (in) your drive way as a preparation technique. One idea: Imagine a cattle catcher grate design to visualize a conceptual starting point. Create a fixed, sloping exit base to a manageable sized container at each of the drive way sides, such as a smooth walled culvert split open lengthwise. Atop it, affix a grate of desired sizing - maybe a stretched slit steel grate (stretched to produce diamond shaped openings of the maximum size [corn-like?] you want the char pieces). Add chunks. Add another layer of grating of overall size small enough that it will "float" atop the char and freely sink as the char below it sifts through the final sizing grate. This floating layer of grate should be of a contrasting dimension to foster crush and abrasion against the lower layer. Add another layer of char. Atop, lay a heavy sheet of steel or heavy boards (maybe the boards out of a trailer bed - the bigger and heavier the better) oriented perpendicular to the driveway to evenly distribute the pressure and transfer the force of the weight of passing vehicles to the layers of chunks and grates below. Ensure these boards "float" atop the stack, and start out riding a little proud (i.e., above) of the grade level of your driveway. Replace the gravity-fed collection containers as they fill up. Replenish the chunks in the system as needed. Repeat as needed to generate the desired volume of bio-char.

[@yarudenok]

The picture of a man repeating "Stop burning your brush! Stop it!" while standing in front of a brush which he is burning is, well, pretty much self-explanatory.

[@SkillCult]

Is it though?....

[@ABCD-si7px]

Came from David the Good and subscribed. You will be part of homeschool curriculum!

[@SkillCult]

Excellent. I heard from someone else that they were using my videos for homeschooling. too cool!

[@ABCD-si7px]

SkillCult Yes. We are very grateful for the content creators that help us teach our children life skills. Thank you so much!

[@howtogetoutofbabylon8978]

Great video if only to remind me of the vast amount of research I did many years ago, in a galaxy far far away... Now here I am with the Same scenario you are faced with. A hundred piles of brush. My son paid a guy to clear his land. I never once thought beyond getting firewood and kindling what to do after that. Now the gears are turning!!! One thing you touched on and that was definitely true in producing Terra Preta (TP); TRENCHES!!! I studied the maps of WHERE TP was produced and lasted 1500 years. Right along the Amazon. I conjectured that they had intake valves where a long trench could be filled with biomass, lit up, then when it was burning, the valve / Sluice Gates opened. Extinguishing the biomass sooner rather than when most of it was burned, does two things: 1. Drastically INCREASES the amount of Bio Char. 2. By watering it from the BOTTOM of the trench, The STEAM (Water) drills BRAZILLIONS of holes into the char. Voila. Activated Charcoal. You have to quench it anyways with your method. Doing it from the bottom up gives the steam the opportunity to penetrate the char. Basically, it can't hurt. You would be making perhaps Higher quality Bio Char. Spraying it might be about as good however. Soooo...All that being said, by using a 55 gallon drum or bigger tank laying horizontal, with the top third cut out, you can do smaller batches, and douse it with water it from the bottom. Prolly take more time than you have to go that route, but food for thought for others, In your case Any time you can build over a trench, you could douse it from the bottom possibly. You are doing what works for you and I ABSOLUTELY applaud you for doing it period. You are Also kicking up great discussions, and REMINDING me of this great black gold... Right when I am about to begin dealing with dozens of brush piles!!! Thank you!!! Ignore the Smart Assess. And ahead REMEMBER : Don't Feed The Trolls!!! They feed on NEGATIVE ENERGY. Let them STARVE. "I have a playlist for splitting firewood by hand. First video is by SkillCult: "Split Firewood On The Ground! No Stumps, No Flat Ends, or Splitting Axes! Axe Cut Wood." In other words, this guy proves that HE can cut a tree down with an Axe, Block it to length with the same Axe, And then SPLIT all of it with the same Axe that he Felled the tree with, and Blocked it with!!! In fact, he has a CHALLENGE out that guys are taking up: Fell trees, block and split ONE FULL CORD of Firewood with JUST YOUR AXE!!! HERE IS MY PLAYLIST FOR SPLITTING FIREWOOD: Watch "Splitting Firewood With Mauls and Axes" on KZbin kzbin.info/aero/PLsEWVATMY6q35P7vOFoZvqZCfK8sLzZeT Here is a series I am doing on my Adventures in Log Splitting; "Reinventing The Wheels: Both Jerry and The Log Splitters Pt 3"kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJDXYWesadOHnas I Digress...

[@SkillCult]

I"ll check it out! I have varying strategies and approaches for trolls. a lot of them are banned immediately. Other's I make an example of. Most never answer back. some I try to convert with reason and it occasionally works. I have another vid explaining my context and why I use these methods, that I did because of a lot of misunderstanding and assumptions by people that don't have enough experience to understand what is entailed in various methods. I like the trench theory of terra preta to a point, but it was a lot harder to dig holes back in the day. I don't know if there is or isn't any evidence. It may have just been basically trash piles. that eventually worked their way down.I haven't looked to see if there is any evidence of how it was made and interred.

[@millomagno]

Hi SkillCult. Thanks for the video. I've just had a fire on my land and I've been clearing all the burn debris and putting it into piles. I can't wait for it to mulch down and as has been proven in this latest fire, they just become a hazard if they catch light. I've been looking for quick and easy ways to convert these piles into bio char and I think the way you describe is what I had in mind and will try now. Thanks for your guidance on that. With regards to adding nutrients to the bio char I was thinking that perhaps I could just use the bio char in the compost toilet with a mix of sawdust so that way it has time to absorb the nutrients from the humanure (and urine?) while it's breaking down. What do you reckon?

[@SkillCult]

It doesn't get much easier than this method. The problem with recharging in a toilet or compost pile is that you don't know how much you re using. If you spread is slowly all over the garden, you won't get a high percentage in the soil. It's good to be able to keep track of how much you are using and to get a certain percentage in each area of soil you amend. I don't recharge. I just add extra nutrients when I dig it in.

[@hillbilly4christ638]

If you had a big trench with all of this material packed into it, then light it. Get it burning good, put a pipe in it to the base, cover the trench with metal, seal the edges, wait three hours until there is a noticeable change in the color of the smoke, seal the fire in. Come back the next day, uncover the trench and collect the charcoal.

[@mdevidograndpacificlumbera1539]

Hey your like some ancient celtic warrior- Bad-ass!

[@SkillCult]

Everyone has their narrative about who they are and what they want to be like. Id like to think if sheldon cooper mated with a viking warrior princess, they would make something like me lol. It's probably not true though...

[@Freekniggers]

Martin DeVido that burns his brush

[@Freekniggers]

Omg are you gay too skilcut? Like Sheldon

[@King.DAVid.III2022]

At every camp I set up first thing is to gather all the sticks and brush into pile, and use daily to make coffee and cook. To help make fire in pouring rain, we dip cotton balls in melted wax totally incasing the cotton in a waterproof fire stater, which can be submerged in water until you need it dry off surface area and light, good for 10-20 minutes the whole thing becomes a very hot wick 🔥🗡️ thanks brother

[@leeroyexcavator9149]

well looks like a pile of burned brush to me.

[@dmail2614]

yup!

[@joelwells2169]

This guy is a straight beautician

[@markhansen4258]

Looks to me like he's burning his brush.

[@therrienmichael08]

Mark Hansen That's burning brush.

[@MrAllan9]

Mark Hansen Agreed, Stop Burning Your Brush??? How do you make Charcoals then?

[@_Lightning_Dog_]

I was thinking the same

[@SkillCult]

Artistic license meets narrow minds

[@roflstomps324]

@@MrAllan9 You limit oxygen to the material you want to make charcoal out of while maintaining heat.

[@oscardavis3906]

I have 2 fire pits on my property for burning trash. BOTH are made with a sunken base, below ground level, and a ring base that is above ground level. ONE is made for daily trash, the other larger, for the big stuff. They get hosed down at the end of the night = end of the burn cycle. I have learned that even being hosed down, the fire coals underneath, doesn't go down, or out. One day, the next day after a burn, I went out and was throwing trash on to the fire pit around 1 PM, and next thing I knew, it was burning already. SO... NOW I AM trying to figure out the best way to lay in stainless steel tubing or copper tubing, in coils or radiator fashion, into a steel frame, with a trap door for cleaning out the ash, so that the coals will be caught between the frame, and work like a hot water heater? I'm still working on how I want to do the coil system, but it's a thought, for others who may want to try the same. I COULD... with the property and work I do around here, almost have constant hot water with such a system. I used to build swimming pools for a living, which included pump houses and septic systems on a commercial pool build. So, storing the water, etc., is not really an issue for me. Its figuring out the heating coil system into the base of the fire pit, that's stumping me. I definitely feel I need a push pump. I also lay diamond lath over the fire, to prevent burning ash from flying up into the air, and sailing off somewhere out of sight, or into the pine trees to prevent starting a fire. I still remember the evening movie shoot on the set of Rosewood, when they burned the town down, and all the ash flying away, and the fire guys running off into the woods to make sure the woods didn't burn down. That was a great education seeing what actually happens when a town is burning down.

[@johncharlescaley]

Don`t trust this man . At about 3.33 I saw him with mine own eyes , Burn his brush. He was definitely burning somebodies brush.

[@SkillCult]

I'm evil.

[@russell7489]

I'm a big DON"T WASTE guy right down to the most invasive weeds, which get thrown in an old fireplace and burned down once a year toss in compost Paper waste might not make bio char but even ask helps with the heavy clay here If brush isn't burned for family fires, it's buried in beds. Construction waste old furniture... becomes sanitary landfill. Fall leaves are piled up so I don't have to brush cut and weed the forest fringe - and I've just found mushrooms growing under them, so I'm going to buy some safe ones and try farming them. in the mean time my bro throws out old studs and buys new one before stripping out a few nails, just burned 30 inch trees to ash to clear a building lot. It takes all kinds I guess...

[@jackdawg4579]

That's how i make my charcoal, I dont let it burn down as far as you do, as I want the actual charcoal for the forge and the smoker, so want bigger bits. Once I see a good bed of coals in the fire, I rake the fire sideways leaving the coals behind and then hose down the coals, leaving the fire to burn some more with additional material I add, and just keep moving it back and forth until I have used up all the wood I need to burn.

[@martyclack8782]

This is what the native to turttle island (always did when planting the biochar my family has alwas we pile up the brush in the garden befor planting season and burn it then get to a size that managable and then bust it up w/ the tiller and then spread it out in the garden and man. Till it in and then plant away we never had to water much only in the higher tempture over 100. But man the groth you get.

[@bikingviking3984]

guess who has a bunch of brush piles and is also building new garden beds... spring experiment incoming!

[@sshermster]

One added tip,wear your old boots when burning any brush, nothing sucks as much as trashing a good pair of boot soles walking around on unseen coals

[@MRTOMBO]

Not sure of the process, but let me see if I've got this: You DO burn your brush. Just not to ash, right? Let it burn down some, until you've got blackened pieces of branch and such, then quench it all with water. That might make obvious sense to you, and you are saying that in the middle of all the dialog, but I'm just double checking myself because "Stop burning your brush" . . . while you are standing there burning your brush. LOL Collect all that and till it into your soil to about 12". Thanks for the vid.

[@dss9775]

Great info. "SAFETY FIRST" 1. make sure you call your local fire dept and let them know you are doing a controlled burn and if there is a burn ban on or not 2. have a rake and a hose with water running because a fire CAN get out of control VERY quickly when the wind picks up 3. keep an eye on your fire ***Going to try this summer coming up, thank you!

[@Ghost_Os]

Theoretically, you could dig a trench 8x24, make char in an 8x8 square of it, break it up and rake it out for the full trench, mixing some of the original dirt back in with compost tea, and there's your garden bed. Seem sound?

[@SkillCult]

Yes. I've given quite a bit of thought to systems like that involving trenching to amend larger areas., some will say not to burn in the garden, but I've done it. Another thing I've done is just dig a catch pit and leave it open, then when I have stuff that I can throw in there I put it in with charcoal and dirt in a certain ratio. I've also burned directly in the pits, then throw dirt on top to smother it and keep adding stuff like that in layers.

[@mmm-uw1ep]

I watched a show about the Amazon a few years ago. Big business was trying to move into a region where traditional farmers still lived. They talked about how fertile the soil was there, how the ancients had done something to the soil that remained to this day but it was a mystery as to what. Fast forward a few years and now scientists know it was biochar. Thanks for this info.

[@foamer443]

The real mystery, that still is to be explained, is twofold. The thickness of the biochar is down to seven feet and mixed with broken pottery. So how did people 1000 years ago or more accomplish this? The amount of pottery apparently is staggering, way beyond throwing a few household broken dishes, and what affect does it have on the biochar?

[@jasonwillette6180]

Dig a hole and cover the top with wet newspaper, boxes, burlap is great. Like we do in Thailand

[@peterjf7723]

A few years ago I had to fell some Cyprus trees. A friend took some as logs for fire wood. I turned a lot of the smaller branches to charcoal, it was too big pieces to use on the garden directly, but was great after I put it through my wood chipper. Mixed with compost it produced some really good soil that I used in raised beds.