Charging/Inoculating Biochar
, by Antoinette Joubert-Sun, 5 min reading time
Biochar is an ancient secret used in agriculture and gardening practices to produce greater yield and promote sustainability. Though over the years this practice has been forgotten or not really talked about. Recently using biochar has made a big comeback and is believed to be the answer to many modern-day problems in sustainability and improved yields for gardening and agriculture. Many don’t know how to use biochar properly to unlock its secrets and superpower, then they abandon the use of biochar. This post is focussed on understanding some of the secrets of biochar and how to charge or inoculate biochar to benefit your yields.
A secret about biochar is that its a highly pyrolysis or pores product nearly pure carbon, essentially like a dry sponge made by burning biowaste or biomaterial in a controlled oxygen poor environment. This means that just like a sponge, biochar can absorb and lock in water, though biochar can not only lock in water but nutrients and microbes necessary to promote plant growth and health.
An additional secret of biochar is that if it is crushed into a smaller manageable size, you will have more biochar to use in different areas, you will have more biochar to use throughout the year and different seasons as well as the ratio of biochar to soil amendments can be measured and applied more accurately.
Another secret that few realise about biochar is that it needs to be charged or inoculated with nutrients and microorganisms for it work well. If it is not charged or inoculated before use, the biochar will absorb or steal the nutrients and microbes from the environment in the soil around it until the pores are filled and in return compete with the plants until it is satiated instead of feeding the plants. This does not mean that the plants won’t benefit from the biochar at all, this just means that the first round of yields won’t be that great, though the next round of yields will benefit greatly in the long run.
There are a few different ways to charge or inoculate biochar, each user has their own preferred method.
- Adding biochar directly to the soil – As mentioned before biochar can seep, absorb or “steal” the nutrients, water and microorganisms from the soil around the environment it is added to. This is a way to charge or inoculate biochar, just add it to the soil and wait until the biochar is satiated and in balance with the soil. This process takes a very long time and is recommended to be done 3 – 6 months before planting.
- Adding biochar, the same time as the soil amendment – Biochar can be added directly to the soil as the time soil amendment is being added by layering or mixing the two together and adding it to the soil. It is recommended to be done 6 weeks before planting.
- Making compost tea and seeping the biochar in the tea – Compost tea is made by mixing water, compost water or liquid, leachate, sugar, molasses, animal waste, liquid kelp or nowadays the mixture can be bought or found online. Mixing compost tea along with some soil from the area where you plant, as the soil holds the necessary microbiology from that area and will help the plants thrive when added to the biochar. Add the biochar to this mixture, be sure to aerate the new mixture, soak for around 10 – 12 days for the best results.
- Add biochar to your compost bin – Adding a 1:1 ratio of biochar to your compost bin is a great way to charge or inoculate biochar while reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses, reduces smells or bad odors, reduces the loss of important microbes or bacteria as well as works as a bonding agent. In many cases compost bins also produces a pungent liquid which the biochar will also absorb. In this case the biochar will be satiated in 6 -12 weeks.
It is clear to see that there are a few different ways to charge or inoculate biochar, each person or group has their own preferred method, finding the best way that works for you and your purpose is becoming easier with people like Biochar Station that offers insight and products to help you on your biochar journey, whatever it may look like. The best way to find the method that works best for you is to just do it and try as many ways as needed.
