[Terrapreta] CORRECTION re: Terra preta 101

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Kevin,

Charcoal is not pure carbon.  Charcoal is not entirely insoluble in water.  The pH of a solution is a messurement, formally, it is the negative log of the ratio of concentration of positive hydrogen or hydronium ions to 1 mole (approximately 6.022×1023 entities) of the other molecules in the solution.  Parts of charcoal reduce and/or oxidize with other molecules in the soil.  This can change the number of free positive hydrogen ions.  Carbon can catalyze reactions which reduce or oxidize also.  These reactions are not simple to quantify or identify directly, but pH is an effective measure of the result on quantities of free hydrogen ions (H+) from all the chemical interactions between soil and charcoal.

But don't take my word for it ....  see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PH<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PH>


Regards,

SKB
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Kevin Chisholm<mailto:kchisholm at ca.inter.net> 
  To: Sean K. Barry<mailto:sean.barry at juno.com> 
  Cc: Michael Bailes<mailto:michaelangelica at gmail.com> ; terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> ; Allan Balliett<mailto:aballiett at frontiernet.net> 
  Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 9:19 AM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] CORRECTION re: Terra preta 101


  Dear Sean

  If Carbon is insoluble in water, how can it change alkalinity or pH?

  Kevin

  Sean K. Barry wrote:
  > Hi Allan,
  >  
  > Yes, I agree.   Charcoal put into acidic soils (with lower pH) can raise 
  > the pH, buffering the acidity, making the soil more alkaline.
  > Charcoal and ash are both alkaline, ash more so than charcoal.  Alkaline 
  > is HIGHER pH.
  >  
  > Regards,
  >  
  > SKB
  > 
  >     ----- Original Message -----
  >     *From:* Allan Balliett <mailto:aballiett at frontiernet.net<mailto:aballiett at frontiernet.net>>
  >     *To:* Michael Bailes <mailto:michaelangelica at gmail.com<mailto:michaelangelica at gmail.com>> ;
  >     terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> <mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>>
  >     *Sent:* Thursday, September 20, 2007 4:54 AM
  >     *Subject:* [Terrapreta] CORRECTION re: Terra preta 101
  > 
  >     Mihael Bailes said:
  > 
  >      >Charcoal will lower pH. Ash will lower it drastically
  > 
  > 
  >     Like I often do, I think you flipped a bit on what moves soil sweet
  >     and what moves it sour.
  > 
  >     Here's a comment from the U of Conn on the affects of wood ash on
  >     garden soils:
  > 
  >      >Wood ash acts on the soil much like limestone in that it raises the
  >      >pH or alkalinity of the soil. Consequently, many wood stove burners
  >      >dump the ashes on their garden site with the thought that they are
  >      >improving the soil condition of their garden. Yet unlike limestone,
  >      >which can take six months sunfloweror more to take effect, wood ash
  >      >has high water solubility and quickly changes the soil pH. This can
  >      >cause a problem with raising the soil pH over the optimum level of
  >      >6.5 to 7.0 if we spread too many ashes in the same area. A soil pH
  >      >over the optimum level can affect plants as adversely as a pH that
  >      >is too low. High pH will limit the uptake of important soil
  >      >nutrients needed by the plant such as phosphorous, iron, and
  >      >magnesium.
  > 
  >     I'm here to tell you: you don't want to get your soil pH higher than
  >     7.5 if you want your gardening efforts to be productive.
  > 
  >     Here's a perhaps off-topic question for you soil scientists: what is
  >     the relationship between "alkalinity" and 'pH'? I've been lowering
  >     the pH of my well water (8.2) with the addition of vinegar for foliar
  >     spraying and find that test strips may show a pH of 6.0 but we are
  >     still over the top on alkalinity, even if I add an agricultural soil
  >     softener and bring us into the test strip 'soft' range.
  > 
  >     -Allan Balliett
  >     Fresh and Local CSA
  >     Shepherdstown, WV
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > 
  >     _______________________________________________
  >     Terrapreta mailing list
  >     Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> <mailto:Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>>
  >     http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/<http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/>
  >     http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org<http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/>
  >     http://info.bioenergylists.org<http://info.bioenergylists.org/>
  > 
  > 
  > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
  > 
  > _______________________________________________
  > Terrapreta mailing list
  > Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
  > http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/<http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/>
  > http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org<http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/>
  > http://info.bioenergylists.org<http://info.bioenergylists.org/>


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070920/381752fa/attachment.html