[Terrapreta] Soil test and CEC

[Allan Balliett]

Jim - Can you point me to some of the Amish farmers you speak of 
below? I'd like to visit their farms. As you probably know, there has 
been a commercial 'carbon' product which is simply coal fines, as 
well. I do not think that coal dust hosts microbiology like char 
does, but I'd like to see some of these farms for myself. -Allan

>Carbon is just carbon. It may vary in it's crystalline structure but 
>chemically it is all much like clay.  Charcoal may be activated but 
>it won't be that way for long after putting it in soil. I know Amish 
>farmers who grind up soft (cheap) coal and till it in to there 
>soils. Like charcoal, it's rather long lasting and it increases the 
>CEC. Each particle or face on a grain has a negative charge. All 
>that is typically done to balance the soil is to add enough calcium 
>(and magnesium, if needed) to bring the calcium in the "soup" (CEC) 
>up to 70%. and the magnesium to 12%.