[Terrapreta] no instantaneousness = no overnight

[folke Günther]

The Terra Preta soils are more than 500 years old. Thinking of creating them
overnight is as futile as thinking of getting a wine similar to a Pemier
Crus Bourgogne from a three-week wine making kit.
However, certain effects can be found rather immediately. Among those are:

   - *(0-2 weeks)*Collecting urine in a bucket of charcoal will not lead to
   any foul smell, which may otherwise be experienced.However, when the
   charcoal is saturated with the nutrients that will be experienced. Then, it
   is time for the compost.
   - *(1 month +) *If charcoal is added to the compost, the decomposition
   rate will increase. (This is what Wardle observed)


   - *(0-2 months)* Application of charcoal directly on top of soil will
   deter snails (as *Arion lustanicus*). I will soon show some highly
   unscientific pictures of that effect. Could be a very interesting research
   programme.

The charcoal will soon be tilled (or dug) down in the soil. Them, the next
effect can be experienced:

   - *(2-3 months)* There will be a very fast increase in the earthworm
   population, both in number and size. This is probably an effect of the
   increased soil microorganism population.
   - *(6 months +) *The effect on plants due to the above is rather dramatic
   and well known by the members of this list.

However, just planting trees doesn't give you a forest. You have to be
persistent and patient.

FG

2008/6/2 francoise precy <f.precy at hotmail.co.uk>:

>
> Hello Sean
>
> "I'm quite sure I never said putting charcoal into soil "instantaneously"
> makes it into Terra Preta soil. If you think so, then show me the post where
> I said that.":
> Soil-wise, "overnight" = "instantaneous" =unbalanced approach.
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Wed, 28 May 2008 21:43:24 -0500
> From: "Sean K. Barry"
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Old native earth ovens.
> To: "'Kurt Treutlein'" , "'terra pretta group'"
> , "MFH"
>
> Hi Max,
>
> ...
> I suspect making Amazon style TP soils would take quite a long time. Its
> just a thought though. Maybe the effect could be made to happen overnight or
> in a single growing season with one application of the "right stuff", too.
> Who knows?
>
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