[Terrapreta] seasoned charcoal

[Richard Haard]

Readers this a test if I can send html links embedded in text to this  
reading list. If it does not work I will repost with links.

Larry - here are links to Flickr images of our time spent today poking  
thru your charcoal test bed. For the other readers this bed is a short  
garden section where he applied charcoal prepared in a weber BBQ and  
treated in a special way only Larry can describe. It is interesting to  
both of us because his charcoal seemed to act differently (better)  
than the bulk samples we tested at the farm. We are now wondering if  
we should be pretreating our charcoal before use to make it attractive  
to water

Here is Larry Williams digging into his charcoal test patch, December  
11,2007

Most striking to us was the different appearance of the charcoal that  
had signs of biological activity and the other type with a dry powdery  
interior. The Upper part of image a piece of dry charcoal found in the  
soil has no sign of biological coloiization and below a piece of  
waterloged char with a segmented worm and  on right side a root hair.  
Notice the powdery char scraped up with the blade on the upper piece  
and the wet mush on the lower. Sorry not perfect focus will try this  
again.

Here is a closer view of the same piece same waterlogged piece with  
better focus showing worm on the left left and root hair actually  
entering a opening in the piece. This was split open to show this  
activity on the interior of the charcoal. More Waterlogged  
charcoal ,split open, showing  evidence of biological activity and a  
partially charred piece of wood with interior mostly soft and hard  
outer shell of char. Lots of evidence of biological activity in this  
piece and a hint that partial charring may actually improve habitat  
potential for benefital organisms.

Rich Haard
Bellingham, Wa.
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