reubent
Pro Member
Posts: 389
Joined: May 2011
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Post by reubent on Jan 18, 2019 5:28:22 GMT -5
With the experimentation in gardening of 50 years behind me, starting with my mothers experience when I was young trying to feed us out of the garden. (she grew up with her dad growing produce for market in Wisconsin) My plan of fertility has developed to where I'm making charcoal (biochar) to mostly replace compost for carbon source, since compost based carbon will oxidize out with our southern summer temperature. (for years I watched the carbon disappear and wondered what was going on) Using natural mineral products such as soft rock phosphate and azomite, with local high calcium lime. (dolomite has too much Magnesium to use much of it) adding nitrogen to charge the charcoal, synthetic usually, since it seems there's no difference in nitrogen from natural versus synthetic source, it's all in what accompanies the nitrogen. Some synthetic nitrogens are too concentrated for the soil life, just need diluting before applying, or a carbon added to make them OK such as a humate product. It's also helpful to add a microbial inoculation to the charcoal. So far results have been good. I need to keep at it and try to work in some nutritional folier feeding as well. A product from International ag labs called Amaze works well, a calcium/phosphate blend formulated for leaf adsorption. Kelp is a nice addition with many benefits. And some sea water added could boost trace minerals and favor as well, although the sodium content is a bit high, limiting it's use. I want flavor in my food, the better the mineral density the better the flavor, but the minerals have to be in the right balance and the right form for the plants to pick up. The good fungal and microbial life that likes to live in high carbon soil helps digest minerals and feed plants.
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Post by bestofour on Jan 19, 2019 0:44:38 GMT -5
Where do you get sea water?
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Post by paquebot on Jan 19, 2019 23:49:21 GMT -5
One comment; making charcoal to produce carbon doesnt't help plants much. Charcoal can remain virtually unchaged for centuries in the soil. Better to have it in the form of humus which will also last as long. That comes from decomposition.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Jan 20, 2019 1:54:51 GMT -5
I've had good luck planting in areas where we had a bon fire.
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Post by paquebot on Jan 21, 2019 12:04:46 GMT -5
I've had good luck planting in areas where we had a bon fire. Burning wood to ashes releases the potash that's in it. However, also makes the soil alkaline. Martin The truth is more important than the facts.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2019 19:51:02 GMT -5
Charcoal is known to remain unchanged in soil for very long periods of time. Early day Spaniards in our west marked boundaries by filling pits with wood, setting it on fire, then choking out the fire to form charcoal pits. When those pits were full of charcoal the marker was good for a lifetime.
Also, I've read that researchers looking or the original Jamestown settlement found charcoal from the fireplaces in the settler's cabins.
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