[Terrapreta] Global Carbon Cycle

[Kevin Chisholm]

Dear Kelpie

Kelpie Wilson wrote:
> I was in my local garden center the other day talking to the owner about 
> charcoal. She said that she puts it in the bottom of pots instead of 
> rocks to "sweeten" the water. She sells tiny little 5 pound bags of 
> horticultural charcoal but she said that it's ok to use regular charcoal 
> briquettes as long as you buy the cheapest kind that has no additives to 
> make it start easier.
> Any thoughts on that?
> 
> -Kelpie

She might be a wonderful person, and might mean well, but my thoughts 
are she doesn't have a clue.

1: Why "sweeten" water water that is going to drain away from the plants?

2: Ask her to define what she means by "sweeten"

3: Charcoal Starter Additives are usually nitrates, or petroleum 
products (waxes, plastics, etc) The former should make the plants grow 
better, if she saved the excess leach water, and then used it to water 
the plants the next time around. The latter are insoluble, and should 
behave as though they weren't there.

4: Why waste good charcoal as a mere drainage medium, when she could 
accomplish the same basic thing with stones that are alot cheaper?

5: Did she mention anything about crushing up the charcoal and mixing it 
with the soil? If not, then she is prolly missing the point.

I might be wrong, but those are my thoughts. :-) Please let me know if I 
am in error.

Best wishes,

Kevin