[Terrapreta] Backyard Biochar

[Douglas Clayton]

Tom,

I see no one has responded yet so I'll throw in some second hand 
reports.  From a conversation with Dr. Peter Fransham of Advanced 
BioRefinery in Ottawa.  He told me that some char he produced from 
chicken litter waste (this would be from a system he did for Renewable 
Oil International) when scattered on a lawn, in one week,  produced 
grass 1" taller and darker green than the adjacent untreated area .  He 
thought there would have been some nitrogen still in the charcoal.

Seems like Dr. Fransham has been at this just about as long as anyone 
and has some systems ready to go into production.  But like most I 
think the awareness of the value of the charcoal is new.
http://www.advbiorefineryinc.ca/


I'm sure everyone has seen the photos at Eprida:
http://www.eprida.com/home/index.php4

I took the below pictures when I visited Danny Day at Eprida last 
month.  The first shot is of the red Georgia clay before and after 
charcoal had been tilled in two years prior.  The second shows some 
"structure" as a result of the charcoal treatment.  The untreated had 
become very hard (compacted).

1.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 1113 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070406/b3352b85/attachment-0005.bin 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IMG_7232.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 67753 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070406/b3352b85/attachment-0004.jpg 
-------------- next part --------------
               2.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 16 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070406/b3352b85/attachment-0006.bin 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IMG_7237.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 45894 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070406/b3352b85/attachment-0005.jpg 
-------------- next part --------------




Three and four illustrate how tilth was improved.  In both shots Danny 
is pushing the device (penetrometer??) with a force of 300#/ sq. in. 
and it is obvious how much looser the soil in the fourth image is!
3.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 215 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070406/b3352b85/attachment-0007.bin 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IMG_7228.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 67176 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070406/b3352b85/attachment-0006.jpg 
-------------- next part --------------
               4.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 16 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070406/b3352b85/attachment-0008.bin 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IMG_7240.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 73383 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070406/b3352b85/attachment-0007.jpg 
-------------- next part --------------




Doug in NH




On Apr 5, 2007, at 9:58 PM, Tom Miles wrote:

> Who has been trying charcoal on plants in small gardens ?with what  
> results?
> ?
> Here?s a report from an Oregon enthusiast:
> http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/outlookmar07
> ?
> Larry had good results with swiss chard and unused barbeque char:
> http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/haardroots
> ?
> The Master Gardeners in Pickens County, Georgia, got educated peanut  
> hull char from U of Georgia for tests with tomatoes and blueberries:
> http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/pickens2006
> ?
> Richard has shown us his tests at the nursery level:
> http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/haardcharcoal
> ?
> And there are a lot of thoughts about charcoal in a number of  
> gardening books:
> http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=node/198
> ?
> Who else has had good (or bad) luck with using charcoal in the garden?
> ?
> Tom Miles
> ?
> ?
> ?
> ?
> ?
> ??
> _______________________________________________
> Terrapreta mailing list
> Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> http://bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/ 
> terrapreta_bioenergylists.org
>
Douglas Clayton
50 Bullard Rd
Jaffrey, NH  03452
work:  603-532-1120
home: 603-532-7321
fax: 603-532-4581

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 3126 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070406/b3352b85/attachment-0009.bin