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Keep a couple pieces of charcoal in your kitchen bin for smell absorption. I just took some charred bits out of my firepit. When they’re used up they can just go right in the pile.
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A large piece of cardboard makes a good lid, and somehow looks nicer in your yard than a pile of old food. Also helps regulate rain absorption/moisture retention.
That charcoal is a great tip!
You should be making biochar and adding by volume 5-10% to the compost but the smell reduction tip is great for the indoors.
If you can find a small footprint biochar tutorial lemme know 👍 I don’t have room for 55 gal barrels
Cone pit.
You can dig it as big or as small as you need (as long as you size the pieces of biomass to suit).
Cone dug into ground, 2 wide:1 deep.
Just look up “cone pit biochar”. I’ll get you back later with something.
The cone pit biochar technique is a simple and cost-effective method for making biochar at home. Here is an overview of the process:
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Dig a cone-shaped pit: Create a pit in the ground with a surface diameter of around 1 meter. The shape of the pit helps to concentrate the heat and promote efficient burning[5].
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Start a fire: Use small twigs and kindling to start a fire at the base of the cone pit. Allow the fire to burn strongly[5].
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Add wood: Once the initial fire is burning well and developing a layer of white ash, gradually add larger pieces of wood. Repeat this process, adding larger wood pieces each time, until you reach the top of the cone[5].
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Quench the fire: When the top layer of the wood starts turning white, extinguish the fire by pouring water over it. This stops the burning process and leaves behind the charred remnants, which is the biochar[5].
It’s important to note that the cone pit method involves depriving the material of oxygen, resulting in a smokeless burn[5]. This method can be used with various types of biomass, such as dried leaves, brush, sticks, weeds, and twigs[1].
The cone pit biochar technique is a popular DIY method for producing biochar at home. It offers a relatively simple and accessible way to create biochar, which can be beneficial for both gardening and the environment.
Citations: [1] https://modernfarmer.com/2021/11/how-to-make-biochar/ [2] https://youtube.com/watch?v=DaOqj0XeuRU [3] https://youtube.com/watch?v=h9J7J4fQHpo [4] https://youtube.com/watch?v=xyWBlCVjvOQ [5] https://rosysoil.com/blogs/news/how-to-make-biochar [6] https://pacificbiochar.com/how-to-make-biochar-with-only-a-match/
This is really helpful, thank you!
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I’ve also used old bits of carpet to cover, they’re a little better at retaining moisture and it won’t blow away on a windy day. Just found the carpet discarded from a house and gave it a good rinse with the hose.
