[Terrapreta] Global Carbon Cycle

[Kelpie Wilson]

Hey Kevin,
I was just reporting on what a garden store owner's state of 
knowledge about charcoal is. She said that it is good to "sweeten" 
the water because it sits in the bottom of the pot (I guess she has a 
pan under the pot to hold the water). Without the charcoal it gets 
slimy I guess. I told her all about biochar and she had an "aha" 
moment and thought it sounded very interesting. I told her I was 
doing trials in my own garden and I would let her know how it goes.
-Kelpie


At 08:59 AM 6/5/2007, Kevin Chisholm wrote:
>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
>
>
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