Can You Use Woodstove Charcoal as Biochar + Going From Compacted Dirt to Thriving Soil

Episode Overview

• This episode of "Growers Daily" discusses viewer questions regarding no-till farming practices, focusing on biochar and sulfur.
• Host Farmer Jesse provides advice on utilizing biochar made from woodstoves and the challenges of incorporating it into established no-till gardens without tillage.
• Jesse also addresses a question regarding a study on the loss of atmospheric sulfur and its implications for soybean and legume yields, highlighting the role of sulfur in plant growth.
• The episode offers practical insights for growers on managing amendments, starting new garden plots from scratch, and understanding the nutrient needs of various crops.

Key Concepts

• Biochar: A specific form of charcoal created in high-temperature, low-oxygen environments. It creates a porous structure that provides housing for microbes and nutrients, resulting in a highly stable form of carbon that can last for hundreds or thousands of years in the soil.
• Woodstove Charcoal: Charcoal from woodstoves is formed in a more oxygen-rich environment at lower temperatures compared to biochar. While it may not have the same long-lasting benefits or porosity as true biochar, it can still serve as an okay stand-in, especially if inoculated with microbes (e.g., via worm bins).
• Incorporating Amendments in No-Till: Adding amendments like biochar to a no-till garden without tillage presents a challenge. Strategies include incorporating it during initial bed preparation (before starting a no-till system), mixing it into potting mixes for transplants, seeding it with cover crops, or applying it topically and allowing natural processes or light broadforking to work it into the soil.
• Sulfur's Role in Agriculture: With the reduction of atmospheric sulfur due to environmental regulations like the Clean Air Act, some crops, particularly legumes like soybeans, may require sulfur supplementation. Sulfur is vital for nodulation and nitrogen fixation in legumes, as well as for chlorophyll formation and overall photosynthesis in plants.

Quotes

• At 2:24 - "just so it's clear biochar is kind of a specific thing where a special form of charcoal is made in high temperature but low oxygen environments which opens up the pore space in the charcoal itself and effectively the surface area of the charcoal and enables it to become a highly stable form of carbon with lots of microbial and nutrient housing like just all those little holes" - This clearly defines what makes biochar unique and beneficial for soil health, contrasting it with ordinary charcoal.
• At 8:37 - "I should say from the outset if it were me I would have done the initial tillage before covering it with the tarp" - This highlights a key strategic consideration when preparing a new plot, emphasizing that initial tillage is often necessary to break up compaction before establishing a no-till system.
• At 15:19 - "For legumes it can help specifically in the nodulation and thus nitrogen fixation so that does make sense. Sulfur also however helps with chlorophyll formation and photosynthesis in general. In the soil it can help manage pH and suppress certain diseases." - This quote explains the multifaceted role of sulfur in plant and soil health, demonstrating why its supplementation might be necessary for certain crops.

Takeaways

• When starting a new garden plot, especially in compacted soil, consider doing the initial tillage to break up the soil before applying a tarp, as tarping may allow some weeds to survive, and tilling afterward could bring new weed seeds to the surface.
• If using charcoal from a woodstove as an amendment, inoculate it first (e.g., by mixing it with compost or worm castings) before applying it to the soil to prevent it from absorbing and locking up available nutrients and microbes.
• Consider testing your soil for sulfur levels, particularly if growing legumes or if you suspect nutrient deficiencies, as the natural atmospheric deposition of sulfur has decreased significantly over the past decades.