get a hold of the guy who owns "florida garden magazine",major into it......

I don't know crap about tomatoes BUT the one thing that I do know is that Supersweet 100 is a good one for summer. While most of the standard varieties won't take the heat/set fruit get fungus etc.
(I listen to gardening shows on the radio-hehe!)

Why would the burnt wood be good for the soil or keep away nematodes? I don't understand the concept.

Jane

I won't know if it chased nematodes away until I pull the plants and examine the roots. What's interesting is this is the only site where the plants still look healthy and are still producing. The plants on all the other sites are done and pulled. I'll try it in the fall on a known nematode-infested site and see if it makes a difference.

I recently saw an educational program on TV questioning if the massive crops described in journals by the by the priest accompanying the conquistadors down the Amazon River could have been true. The finding was amended soil heavy in partially burned charcoal called TerraPreta, which is still being farmed today and still very productive.

Tom

A few years ago I set out on a program of making bio char to enhance my soil. I had read up on all the benefits of 'Terra Preta' (black earth) and the poor Amazon soils. I burned the wood chips in a home made bio kiln, I ground up the bio char into fine particles as was noted in their studies of the Terra Preta soil (which made me look like a West Virginia coal miner as the dust went everywhere and stuck to my sweaty skin). At first I did notice a marked difference in the growth of the plants in my 'Terra Preta' test plot but the improved soil increased the number of earthworms and that attracted armadillos and moles which dug up and burrowed all through out the test plot. Because of the increased activity of the critters digging up plants and tunneling below ground the plants succumbed to the pressure and the test plot fared no better than the original sugar sand that only grow weeds.
Moral of the story is learn to develop a taste for Florida's weeds... Blech! or shop at Publix... double Blech!

Lou

Go to "Florida garden magazine" facebook. Type in biochar! Lots of "real" info.........m

Sure got me thinking after seeing that show on TV. My veggies are really in container culture but knowing the orchid growers use some charcoal in their mixes I'm sure thinking of testing some in a few batches of my version of Al's mix.

Tom

I don't know if my experience could be considered as an experiment but long, long ago when I was living with my father as a child we live on the bottom of a volcano that had very rich soil, anything you put in the ground it would grow perfect, the weather was always the same about 70 degrees daytime, little bit colder during the night. My father mostly grew fruit trees and medicinal herbs and he would burn the spent crops, kitchen waste and other things and buried it in the garden. Because I saw him doing, I did it too, for me it was less garbage to fill. I never had the same type of soil again, no matter where I live. I don't know if it was the naturally volcanic soil, no bugs, perfect temperatures or the amount of burning that we did.:)

Silvia

I guess I could do another test of the bio char using two of my earthboxes side by side, one with bio char and one without, and plant the exact same plants in each. I'll see if I have time to mess with that idea for fall planting.

Lou

Silvia, a very interesting story. Where did you live?

I added 5 gallons of homemade charcoal to my raised bed garden. The charcoal is a by-product from my grill. I add hickory chips into a small cast iron box for smoke flavoring. It does not turn into ash. So I added it and I'll see what happens.

I added 5 gallons of homemade charcoal to my raised bed garden. The charcoal is a by-product from my grill. I add hickory chips into a small cast iron box for smoke flavoring. It does not turn into ash. So I added it and I'll see what happens.

ShavedMonkey, your tomatoes are going to taste like pulled pork!

Shavedmonkey, I was born and raised in the middle of the world, no kidding. Lived many,many places after that, about 5 years in Florida.

The Tradition, lol, you are a funny man.

Silvia

Tradition,
I hope you like pulled pork. Even then I'm not sure I want my tomatoes tasting like pork. Maybe one variety of pork flavored tomatoes. Just for the fun of it.

Silvia,
When I think of volcanos I think of tropical places. That has been my experience. And I think about incredible growing conditions. As an example I've seen papaya trees as big around as a fat coconut. And nobody planted it. Someone spit a seed. No one cares for it. It just grows. Makes me feel like I'm struggling compared to that.

Interesting, I wonder what the rational is? I'm an orchid grower and have always used chunk charcoal in my mix. I haven't used it with regular 'dirt' plants but might give it a try. Orchid roots like charcoal and favor it over wood chips.

I have been taught that charcoal will absorb toxins and other chemicals in the mix. The down side to this is it will absorb the chemicals, including fertilizer to a saturation point and can become toxic itself.

I thought that made sense as I know charcoal used in Aquariums needs to be changed over time as it will no longer absorb. It never occurred to me that it would become a toxic mine-field itself.

Charcoal used in air filters loses its effectiveness over time also.

whgille, sounds like you lived in Hawaii?

Jane

Tradition,
For your experiment I'd suggest create 2 identical plots side by side. Amend one with charcoal. Plant the exact same plants at the exact same time.

To be excessive do the same as above in shady, part sun, and full sun location.

Does the biochar improve with years? A second and third year would answer that.

Good luck.

If any of you still need biochar, I have tons and tons of it.
I deal in biochar and probiotics for the soil. This stuff is so fun you can't believe it. We grew a 1,810 lb pumpkin on the stuff. Or I should say, a customer with more focus and dedication, grew it.
My philosophy is to feed the soil not the plant. Carbon, biological activity and minerals make the soil.
Goto: www.usbiocarbon.com
All the best this season.

Here is a link that might be useful: US bio Carbon

"Moral of the story is learn to develop a taste for Florida's weeds..."

Lou, IME beggar's tick and goosefoot (the two most common weeds in my neck of florida) make pretty decent cooked greens.

It's funny that someone decided to resurrect this post, even if it was just for a shameless Biochar sales ad. I just built my first 'micro' two-can TLUD kiln yesterday. I got two burns in and it seems to take about an hour to an hour and a half to do a complete burn and cooldown.

I built it from a one gallon paint can, two quart sized paint cans (new cans, so no paint residue to worry about, though not in the vein of true sustainability which wouldbuse repurposed cans) and a few other cans for the chimney. It's small enough to fit on my grill (but not in it) and cooks about 2-3 cups of char each burn, which for me and my small yard is just enough. I will try to post again if I notice a difference in my tomato yields as compared to last year.

I very much enjoyed reading through this information
In application

I am a Canadian wintering down in Florida. Have these gardens developed the past 14 years that are coming along nicely Not so much do I grow vegetables but I did give it a go some years back Maybe will try again. Seemed just when I had tomatoes ready for picking was time to go north.
Why I am putting my two cents in on the subject is that in that time, of wintering down in FLorida before heading north I put down containers of charcoal in open containers through the house To absorb dampness. I do not leave the air conditioning on and this has worked just fine House is not damp at all in fact always just lovely to be back down. At any rate I used to throw that charcoal out to the garbage but a few years ago I thought why not just spread it around in the gardens.

I put mulch down on all the garden beds. Have lots of Bromeliads, Plumeria, well several diferent plants. Never seem to have any disease or problems in the garden beds

Now I don't know that the charcoal has been beneficial. I don't dig it in usually just throw it on top and some gets dug in when I am working in the beds. Some just falls apart.
Reading this information though I am for sure going to continue to do so
I loved the note from Silvia and her Dad gardening. I as well still do dig in the vegetable , coffee grounds etc. as my Dad did.

I do sometimes worry about that though that it can introduce fungal disease or something.

I had a bed of Calla Lilies up in Canada Maybe 12x12 foot. Was a thing of beauty Of course I had to bring the bulbs in each year. But the bed did look so fine. I concentrated kitchen scraps into that bed all the time and over winter.
One year, the plants where coming up nicely but all of a sudden in less than a week they where all diseased or no good at least. I am sure that the problem was from all the concentrated amount of kitchen scraps in that small area.
I threw them all out the bulbs where soft and yucky, thinking to try to save any might do more harm than good

Thanks for all the information above I am going to read more about it. And have friends to whom this information might be quite interesting, people who live and do garden in Florida year round

Lots of info on YouTube. 5 part workshop in link at end. Biochar should be charged (mix in compost and urine and let sit for two weeks - or figure out your own unique way to charge it :-)) prior to being incorporated into the soil or it will take up soil nutrients to do the job itself. You only need about 3% by volume to see great results. Just add it to the planting hole to get the 3%. Over time the garden will all get done. It is amazing at retaining moisture and nutrients for plant uptake. Used effectively in both sand and clay. Seems to be Miracle Grow on steroids. Been reading a ton of stuff on line while recuperating from a week of the flu bug. Also made a bushel or so in the last few weeks. Need to work out a good crusher.

Here is a link that might be useful: Biochar Workshop st Garden Web Farms

I did have two tomato plants survive over the winter. Both were Sungolds. One was planted in the "Japanese Tomato Ring" and one was in the Biochar plot.

I can't read all these comments, but for those who are using the charcoal without activating it by soaking it for a week or two in compost or manure tea, don't be surprised if you get poorer results than expected the first year or two. The charcoal is storing nutrients for later release. Charcoal also acts as a sponge, holding massive amounts of water, and releasing it to the plants as needed. Do not crush charcoal without wearing a good respirator. Good source of charcoal is to buy it prebagged - UNTREATED IN ANY WAY. I throw my charcoal uncrushed into my compost heap as I build the heap and then put all my compost through a shredder - takes care of 99% of the crushing.

I use an old air mattress as a tarp & crush wet or damp biochar into dust size particles with my truck. If done when it is damp, there is no dust to deal with. I then add it to my compost piles to charge.

With the small amounts I make in my mini-kiln, I grind up each batch with some bricks and dump the crushed charcoal into the bottom basin of my worm farm. This way the charcoal sits in the worm... excretions and charges itself. Once the worm bin is fully turned into castings, I drain off the excess liquid into a bucket to make tea and I grind up charcoal again before adding half to my compost bins and applying the other half to whatever I think needs it.

Lots of good info. Keep in mind all biochar is not 'created equal'. If cooked off at a low temp, it can have elevated residual organic compounds (ROCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). That's why ordinary briquettes are terrible for the soil. Of course they're meant to burn! Some sources of biochar can produce material with elevated ROC/VOC as well. Activated charcoal goes through pyrolysis at a very high temp (~700 C. or >). The sweet-spot for biochar is 470-480 C.

Most are 'raw', although there is one (possibly 2) that are 'conditioned' (fines removed, pH adjusted to neutral), meaning they're ready to go straight out of the box/bag.

Regarding nematodes, it may just be that the added flush of feeder roots can tolerate nematode populations better than 'without'. It definitely facilitates a lot of beneficial reactions (and interactions) necessary for sustainable longterm soil health. Sustenance, not (vs) stimulants I think my IPM professor said long ago.