[Terrapreta] Terra Preta & Pigs

[Richard Haard]

Very good feedback - thanks all
On Feb 22, 2007, at 8:20 PM, Douglas Clayton wrote:

> I spoke with Dr. Johannes Lehmann this morning and received the  
> clear message from him that it was a mistake to go fooling around  
> willy-nilly with charcoal at this time.  Not that it is dangerous  
> but just that it is hard to learn anything definative. The science  
> isn't there yet to know what we are doing.  This was a great  
> disappointment to me but I understand where he is coming from.
>
> Dr. Lehman indicated that the temperature at which the charcoal is  
> produced is critical, the material being charred and the end use,  
> the soil type and conditions and the crop being grown are variables  
> about which we can not yet, say what is appropriate.  Not knowing  
> the source material means something may work one time but not the  
> next.  He indicated that it is definitely not a panacea and  
> applying charcoal can, in some circumstances, do harm to soils and  
> crops.
>
> Never the less, I plan to experiment a little bit in the garden  
> this summer myself!
>
> How do we check the pH of the charcoal we purchase or produce?
>
> Douglas Clayton
> 50 Bullard Road
> Jaffrey, NH 03452
> H. 603-532-7321
> W. 603-532-1120
> Fax. 603-532-4581
>
> On Feb 22, 2007, at 10:27 PM, Jeff Davis wrote:
>
>>  wrote:
>>> Jeff, charcoal is used for human consumption for certain conditions
>>> including indigestion and some poisonings.  I think that some of  
>>> it in the
>>>  soil would
>>> be not so bad for the pigs.
>>
>> Maybe the pigs would be helpful to the Terra Preta. They rot, eat  
>> soil and
>> produce manure.
>>
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>>

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