Not strictly on topic but it is biochar and there is a plant on it. It’s bamboo biochar as well.

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  • Treevan 🇦🇺@aussie.zoneOP
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    1 year ago

    I agree with your statements but you have gone too far into the semantics. Never, at any point, when making “charcoal” for the purpose of “biochar”, have I heard anyone call it “charcoal” right up to the point where a biological process is introduced to it. Sure, technically correct but still…

    It’s made as biochar for the purpose of being biochar from the minute it comes out of the kiln! I just make a lot of it and some is out in the open longer than others.

    • radec@slrpnk.net
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      1 year ago

      I would agree. Biochar and charcoal are fundamentally different, and it’s unfortunate that the two get conflated. Biochar is produced at higher temperatures then charcoal and doesn’t add to atmospheric carbon dioxide levels during production (if produced correctly). On the other hand charcoal is produced at lower temperatures and is not clean to produce so does add to atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

      this seems like a pretty good general overview: https://rosysoil.com/blogs/news/biochar-vs-charcoal

    • CadeJohnson@slrpnk.netM
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      1 year ago

      I think you are right that the making of biochar vs charcoal is all about the maker’s intent. But I would not rest easy until I know the biochar is committed to the destination for which I intended it. I lived in the Dominican Republis for a while, and it would have been a very bad idea to leave chunks of biochar lying on the ground! They would have been quickly “found” by the local poor Haitian farm workers and put to their traditional use - cooking.

      I am doing some experiments right now with making and eventually growing with biochar. The US Forest service says biochar can be added to woodland soil at a rate of about 270 tonnes per hectare - any idea how that works out, or what mix rate range might be good for adding biochar to garden soil. My plan is to try a range of ratios and characterize my soil by sand:silt:clay proportion - I guess clayey soils might benefit from a higher proportion of biochar.