The Golden Age of Biochar

We are living in the golden age of biochar. What is it? I am not going to tell you the history when someone else had done a better job than I could ever do. PDF Anyone?

One search on biochar and you will enter the world of Disney like magic. Biochar will turn your garden into a lush garden of bounty.

You can learn to build a biochar generator or maker that costs only about thirty dollars to machines that costs hundreds.

I like the double barrel method. I have to burn my garbage anyway, so why not make biochar at the same time. I made this small inner barrel for twenty dollars. It will go into my larger burn barrel. The larger burn barrel has vent holes at the bottom sides of the barrel.

I vented my little inner barrel with copper tubing. It will allow water vapor to escape without letting fire in to consume my biochar. Biochar is like charcoal: oxygen and fire can start a reaction that will turn your biochar into ash. You do not want ashes, you want charcoal like biochar.

I made my inner tank out of flue supplies. I used a short flue with caps. Do not make your tank air tight or you could be making a bomb. It will explode. I did not weld my caps...they are loose.

My first try out I use fallen branches that were half rotten. It was a success. I have more than enough biochar for a good start. You mix 1/10th of your soil medium with biochar. Biochar replaces perlite. 

This is not voodoo science. Biochar is for real. Many third world countries are using it. I always like the pictures of a field with a farmer using it and one that doesn't. Take a look at these...Pictures 

2/23: I used my biochar can again and notice smoke escaping from the lids. You probably do not need to vent it with copper tubing.  It vents itself through the lids. Good news, the can will now only cost you around $15.00.  I'm going to use stove cement for bottom lid to seal it and let the top lid do the venting.