[Terrapreta] Terra Preta Trials 2007

[Kelpie Wilson]

Bruno, thanks for the warning about the ash - I'll test the pH and 
maybe add some pine needles from the forest if it looks too alkaline.
Regarding burning brush and wood slash - a number of years ago we 
tried to compost some of the material. We can't leave the stuff 
sitting around thru the long hot dry season here because it is too 
much of a fire danger. So we rented a chipper and made chips and left 
them in small piles. I admit we never turned them or anything. They 
are still there, not looking very decomposed. Of course it took a lot 
of gas to haul the chipper up here and run it.

People do lot of burning in my county - it is not illegal during the 
right season. Most people are not going to bother to rent a chipper - 
for one thing, this is about the poorest county in Oregon and people 
don't have much extra income. I am trying to spread the word locally 
that if people burn to produce charcoal, they will keep some amount 
of carbon out of the atmosphere and as a bonus end up with a valuable 
soil amendment for their gardens.

-Kelpie

At 02:06 PM 3/25/2007, Bruno M. wrote:
>Kelpie you wrote:  " ... we have to burn anyway. "
>That's not true, and in many country's even illegal.
>
>You can also chose to compost the stuff, no smoking stinking air
>pollution, no fire(-risk),
>and a lot of useful soil amendment as a result.
>
>But then, ... you don't get charcoal to make your Terra Preta.
>
>Another aspect of your scenario, all the ash you put in your garden
>may or may not
>be a benefit to your plants, ash makes the Ph of your soil higher,
>not al plants like that.
>
>Grts
>Bruno M.
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>At 20:50 25/03/2007, Kelpie wrote:
> >Here in the Oregon woods, we are constantly clearing small trees and
> >brush around our houses to increase our fire safety. We clear the
> >brush and then make burn piles - spring and fall you will see small
> >burn piles in every back yard. I asked my husband to try to make his
> >burn pile a little cooler to make more charcoal and less ash. After
> >all the small stuff - leaves and small branches - burned up, he
> >misted it with the hose to cool it down and left it smoldering all
> >night. The next day we put the fire out completely with water. We
> >ended up with a nice pile of charcoal for the garden, about 3
> >wheelbarrow loads of mixed charcoal and ash.
> >
> >I figure that if nothing else, we are keeping some carbon out of the
> >atmosphere by controlling the burn pile this way - we have to burn anyway.
> >
> >Does anyone have any tips for how much of this charcoal to put in my
> >garden beds? They are raised beds about 4 feet wide and 20 feet
> >long. How thick a charcoal layer do I need? How deep into the soil
> >should I bury it?
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Kelpie
> >
> >
> >At 05:01 PM 3/24/2007, Richard Haard wrote:
> >>On Mar 24, 2007, at 10:48 AM, Tom Miles wrote:
> >>
> >>>We learn by doing. We learn by example. And we learn from each
> >>>other. As far as I know..........
> >>
> >>
> >>And thank you Tom for the opportunity to interact with one another
> >>and to spend time reading the collection of fine articles and posts
> >>you are maintaining.
>...
> >>Best to all
> >>Rich Haard, Bellingham, Washington
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