Gardening,organics,sustainable gardening,food crops,etc

[Maria Stade]

Love this thread !

Cjay thank you for charing this important information !

MAKING BIOCHAR: with Peter Hirst of New England Biochar

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=RXMUmby8PpU

[Arrowwind]

Posted by Maria Stade (here)

Arrowwind
You can feed them store bought feed and supplement in the summer with wild herbs and clovers from gathered from your morning walk

Not so good idea !

Rabbit food contains antibiotics (sulfa in Swedish ) and you do not whant to eat that !
To much clower can kill ( gas production) them or make them unfertile or inpossible to mate much hormones !

Hay is important they have teath that grows all the time, and green food is fine but read how to do so you dont over do it they have a sencitive stomach !

There are different qualities of feed available at least in the USA. They can eat some clover...look at what a rabbit will eat in the wild.. and they do eat some clover. Balanced diet is the key. garden scraps can also be given... carrots, lettuce, beans, etc. One has to work with what is available. It is good to look for local wild plants to feed them in the summer and what might be dried for winter feed...I don't know everything about feeding rabbits... I watch what my neighbors do, and they raise a lot of rabbits.

[Cjay]

Posted by Maria Stade (here)
Love this thread !

Cjay thank you for charing this important information !

MAKING BIOCHAR: with Peter Hirst of New England Biochar

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=RXMUmby8PpU

You're welcome Spread it around (the information and the biochar)

Thank you Maria for that very informative video.

[Arrowwind]

I have read quite a bit of biochar information now and watched some videos..
It seems like a lot of work to make it..the Amazon people seem to have burned it in huge mounds covered with clay
but the videos say that this process was kind of toxic for the air to do.

The cost of fertilizing a pasture, even a small one like we have would be highly prohibative it seems.

Some where on one of the pages I read it said that even charcoal for grilling might be used with some positive effect
and this certainly is more cost effective for a garden than the biochar products I found but there was little detail on it.
If anyone comes across info regarding using regular grilling charcoal please post it. It would be less than half the price of biochar, especially considering that the biochar would have to be shipped to most of us.

I will really have to think about it before I build a burner... and I noticed that some of the people making it used hard wood and I certainly understand why but I don't have hard wood available so I wondered how it would do with pine which we have an abundance of.

The other thing I could not get clear on is how to apply it.. some people said it had to be mixed in the soil but then a woman with an avacado ranch in Australia seemed to just throw it on top of the ground..??

[Dennis Leahy]

I have always purchased "starts" (small plants) for tomatoes, peppers, and broccoli, but this year decided to try some from seeds. The tomatoes are a bust - one scrawny plant. The peppers are coming up healthy and should be good plants. The broccoli plants are spindly, and I hope I caught them in time, adding more lights above them, and I turned on a small fan on low to simulate wind (and hopefully strengthen the stems.) Lots of sweet basil coming along well too, and I will also plant some as seed directly in the garden. I have quite a few "seed" potatoes from last years crop, now growing shoots, and more of those purple-fleshed and red-fleshed potatoes ordered as seed potatoes.

It was really difficult to watch the snow coming down today, Apr. 26th. I'm so sick of snow! But, I will be meeting with other site coordinators, as a community gardening site coordinator, this weekend, so the show must go on!

Hope others in the northern hemisphere are either getting ready, or well into the gardening season!

Dennis

[TWINCANS]

We're late in realizing the importance of increased our self sufficiency, so right now our job is to repair the greenhouse. Also the idea of sprouting makes a lot of sense. I'm looking for a good local supplier of heritage seeds (not F1 Hybrids that are sterile and need to be repurchsed every crop) and organic sprouting seeds but no luck so far.

[Cjay]

Posted by Arrowwind (here)
Some where on one of the pages I read it said that even charcoal for grilling might be used with some positive effect
and this certainly is more cost effective for a garden than the biochar products I found but there was little detail on it.
If anyone comes across info regarding using regular grilling charcoal please post it. It would be less than half the price of biochar, especially considering that the biochar would have to be shipped to most of us.

Short answer - no, you would be wasting your time.

From my research, using cooking or heating charcoal in a garden would not be practical because most charcoal for cooking or heating has been compressed over millions of years so it lacks the microscopic hollow tubes from the veins in the plant stems that are one of the important characteristcs of biochar. These hollow tubes give biochar huge surface area on which beneficial soil micro-organisms grow. This porosity also plays an important role in soil aeration, moisture penetration and drainage, nutrient and moisture retention and ground-water filtration.

Posted by Arrowwind (here)
The other thing I could not get clear on is how to apply it.. some people said it had to be mixed in the soil but then a woman with an avacado ranch in Australia seemed to just throw it on top of the ground..??

Mixing biochar with soil and compost is optimal - the results are dramatic and immediate - but it would not be practical to dig soil too deeply in an established orchard as you might damage the root system of mature trees. I think throwing biochar on the surface would have less benefit than mixing it with soil and compost before planting. Macro-organisms (worms, insects, etc) might eventually mix the biochar with the surface soil but this would take years. The avocado farm in that video is part of an experiment. It would be interesting to compare, over several years, the quantity and quality of avocados from trees where biochar was added and from trees where biochar was not added.

Personally, I don't think they were adding nearly enough biochar to make a big difference. In that video you referred to, they were talking about 10 tonnes per hectare or 1 kilogram per square metre. That would not translate to much soil depth if you consider a 1:1:1 mixture of soil:compost:biochar. Remember also, the deeper the soil, the bigger the root system. Bigger roots = bigger plants.

As an example, if you want to grow vegetables, mix one cubic metre of soil with one cubic metre of compost and one cubic metre of biochar. Spread out the mixture at a depth of 20 to 30 centimetres (8 to 12 inches). Plant the seeds and/or seedlings, then jump back! Before you know it, you will have more vegetables than your family can eat.

After you have mixed the soil, compost and biochar, the soil is so friable (soft and crumbly) that you can dig it with your fingers for many years - the soil resists compaction so roots can penetrate very easily. Your soil will soon be full of life such as fungii, bacteria, worms and insects. Let the worms and insects do the digging. Your neighbours and gardening friends will develop soil envy.

[Cjay]

Posted by Arrowwind (here)

Posted by Cjay (here)
I have posted the video link here, for your convenience:
http://ecopreservationsociety.wordpr...terra-pretado/

This next site includes a short documentary video about soil research and the modern application of the ancient El Dorado biochar knowledge: http://replantingtherainforests.org/...mentation.html


To turbo-charge plant growth in any soil type, in any climate, learn about and
COMBINE BIOCHAR AND PERMACULTURE (more on this in future posts).

Very interesting Cjay! I will be looking into this.

Please tell us if you have made this soil and how it has gone for you.

Successful permaculture experiment

February 2008


April 2011

[Eikoor21]

Wow pretty neat thread
You guys that have yards, land, and space are quite lucky
for me on the other hand not so much
i was considering some indoor growing but i dont even have that much space either
i wish i could dig a room underground and grow it there
lol

[Arrowwind]

Is there a place to purchase biochar?

Acres magazine has an artical about it either this month or last month

[nimmer]

Posted by Cjay (here)

Posted by Arrowwind (here)

Posted by Cjay (here)
I have posted the video link here, for your convenience:
http://ecopreservationsociety.wordpr...terra-pretado/

This next site includes a short documentary video about soil research and the modern application of the ancient El Dorado biochar knowledge: http://replantingtherainforests.org/...mentation.html


To turbo-charge plant growth in any soil type, in any climate, learn about and
COMBINE BIOCHAR AND PERMACULTURE (more on this in future posts).

Very interesting Cjay! I will be looking into this.

Please tell us if you have made this soil and how it has gone for you.

Successful permaculture experiment

February 2008
Attachment 7099

April 2011
Attachment 7098

That is amazing!!!

[CorLian]

Posted by Maria Stade (here)
Sipping some Birch sap..... mmm thats good.... wohoooo

How did you do this, and when do you do it? I would like to colect sap on some of our trees, but I always thought it was a long process filled with hours of hard work and intense labor. Have you tried it on maple trees?

I hope I got the quote right, I didnt do the thread were your suposed to practice...

Thank You

[Gustav]

Hi,

I have lice on my sunflowers. How can I best remove them without damaging the plant? Or should I not remove them?

Gustav

[Cjay]

Posted by Gustav (here)
Hi,

I have lice on my sunflowers. How can I best remove them without damaging the plant? Or should I not remove them?

Gustav

Lice? Could they be aphids?

Perhaps you will find an answer here:
From the Sustainable Gardening Australia website
Garden pests, diseases, natural controls (and "old school" control methods)
http://www.sgaonline.org.au/?page_id=4320

Disclaimer: this is an Australian website and we do not have most of the garden pests that exist in other parts of the world - that's one great benefit of living on an island with strong quarantine laws and procedures.

Just my two cents worth - your best defense against garden pests is to plant as many different varieties as possible.

By the way, that website has some really useful information, including these pages (for example):

Companion planting: http://www.sgaonline.org.au/?p=583

Crop rotation: http://www.sgaonline.org.au/?p=586

Fact sheets: http://www.sgaonline.org.au/?page_id=896

...and lots more. Enjoy!

[blufire]

A few aphids won’t hurt and are part of a garden’s eco-system . . . . but if there are “a lot”, say a couple dozen on a plant then that’s a significant infestation.

I use diatomaceous earth quite a bit, both when I have a problem and as a precursor to potentially problems. It is organic and very effective against “sucking” and “chewing” bugs. Also for an organic solution with items you may have in your home use about a tablespoon of cooking oil (olive oil, canola etc) and about a teaspoon of some type of soap (biodegradable is best) and mix in a spray bottle (32 ounce) with water. Obviously you have to shake often while spraying on your plants. This will coat the bugs and dry them out.

Make sure you don’t breathe the DE or get in your eyes . . . it irritates soft tissue . . . which is why it works with insects!!!

I also use DE with my chickens. I mix a bit in their food which they ingest and it takes care of any worms they may have. Also, I place a pan of DE at the door where they go in and out of their house, when they step in it gets on their feet and undersides, which then takes care of fleas or mites.

Posted by Gustav (here)
Hi,

I have lice on my sunflowers. How can I best remove them without damaging the plant? Or should I not remove them?

Gustav

[Gustav]

Thanks both of you. I will try it tomorrow as it is now almost time to sleep. The plants are sunflowers of two different kinds. One of them can grow up to 4 meters (12.97 feet or 155.64 inch) tall, how cool is that. They are about 40 centimeters (1.29 feet or 15.54 inch) now. I also have a sequia that just spawned last year and is now up to 4 centimeters (0.12 feet or 1.55 inch). Amazing that it can grow to be a few 1000s years old. As a saying goes in the Netherlands: 'boompje groot, plantertje dood' I will not live to see it. It means, when the three is grown, the planter is dead.

=== Added ===

I looked aphids up on the internet. They are aphids indeed. I do not know if there are several different species, most likely yes, but I will make a picture tomorrow and post it.

[Arrowwind]

Posted by Gustav (here)
Hi,

I have lice on my sunflowers. How can I best remove them without damaging the plant? Or should I not remove them?

Gustav

One of the best defences against these types of bugs is getting some ladybugs.
Ladybugs will viligently watch over your crops.
you can purchase them on line.
Praying mantis are helpful too.

Sunflowers are great. Their root system will enhance your soil. when you take them down you can feed the heads to chickens if you want. you can burn the stalks on the garden site or compost them.. cu them and leave the roots in the soil and just plow them in after your burn.. or dont plow at all... I am working on developing a no till garden myself.

for new gardeners, or any gardener really, I highly recommend the magazine called "Acres"
I have learned so much from them.

[Arrowwind]

[QUOTE=Cjay;205728]

Posted by Arrowwind (here)
[After you have mixed the soil, compost and biochar, the soil is so friable (soft and crumbly) that you can dig it with your fingers for many years - the soil resists compaction so roots can penetrate very easily. Your soil will soon be full of life such as fungii, bacteria, worms and insects. Let the worms and insects do the digging. Your neighbours and gardening friends will develop soil envy.

Do you know anyone that is selling biochar? I haven't been able to find any.

[Cjay]

Posted by Gustav (here)
Thanks both of you. I will try it tomorrow as it is now almost time to sleep. The plants are sunflowers of two different kinds. One of them can grow up to 4 meters (12.97 feet or 155.64 inch) tall, how cool is that.

You're welcome, Gustav. I think it is very cool when things grow fast and tall. I can see enormous potential for using the woody parts we don't eat of plants such as sunflowers, corn and sugar cane - also cannabis (not the kind for recreational smoking, although that can be used too) - for producing mountains of biochar, very quickly, to dramatically improve the quality of soils. For those readers who missed or glossed over or did not grasp the significance of my original biochar post, I urge you to give it some time and serious thought.
Here is the biochar post: https://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...l=1#post187057

If anyone doesn't understand why I highlighted cannabis, I urge you to read this post for a quick overview: https://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...l=1#post190648
...then, for much more detailed information, read this book:
The Emperor Wears No Clothes by Jack Herer
http://www.jackherer.com/thebook/


Join the dots, people.



A little P.S. Yesterday, a friend who appreciates gardening and amazing soil quality came to visit for lunch. After I dug some potatoes with my bare hands, I sensed a very strong vibe of soil-envy. I offered her a sack full of my compost to help with her tiny inner-suburban vegie garden. As I filled the sack, she became so excited, she almost cried. Three years ago, this land was extremely sticky, heavy red clay, with a very shallow dusting of poor quality topsoil. Now - and with minimal effort - the soil is truly amazing.

[Cjay]

Posted by Arrowwind (here)
Do you know anyone that is selling biochar? I haven't been able to find any.

I found this by searching Google for "biochar for sale" - The first link below currently lists two companies selling biochar - one in Australia and one in USA. I have previously found two other companies in Australia who sell in bulk for broadacre application. I won't list them here because Arrowwind is in USA. I'm sure there are growing numbers of other sources in many countries.

http://www.biochar.net/where-to-get-biochar/ (worth reading)

which eventually leads to: http://www.biocharsolutions.com/bioc...charsales.html (in USA)
The Biochar Solutions website has a lot of very interesting information. I encourage you to spend time reading this site - and you will find many useful / interesting external links. I am very impressed by their biochar factory on a trailer. Awesome!

"The beta units processed over 500 lbs of woody biomass per hour. These mobile units can be deployed at the source of the biomass—minimizing transport costs; avoiding carbon emissions from transportation; and in some cases, tipping fees. These units require only grid power or a genset, nominal propane for start-up, and a level pad to install." more...

This is a very big claim - "Biochar could remove and sequester over 3 billion tons per year of atmospheric carbon dioxide"
Source: http://www.biocharsolutions.com/solu...%20Biochar.pdf
- and that is in addition to all of the other benefits that I mentioned in my original post on biochar - here:
https://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...l=1#post187057

I have previously read that the biochar found in soils in the Amazon region was carbon-dated as being up to 3,000 years old - so the benefits last a very long time.

I will preface this quotation with a disclaimer. I do not respect Tim Flannery's politically and financially biased doomsayer claims regarding global warming / climate change / carbon tax. However, I totally agree with his following statement: "Biochar may represent the single most important initiative for humanity's environmental future" - Professor Tim Flannery

Arrowwind (and any anyone else who tries this), I am very interested in your feedback regarding any biochar companies, their products, services, technology, pricing - but especially your personal results from adding biochar to your soil.

Biochar - a closer look. Notice it has lots of surfaces for fungi and bacteria to grow on and lots of internal spaces for storing moisture, nutrients and air - and, importantly, for filtering the water before it ends up in creeks and rivers.



By the way... here is a great use for those left over plastic buckets - make free-range worm farms:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=vG6_aGS96aE

Interesting idea but my two compost heaps are much bigger free-range worm farms that don't use any plastic and I don't have to dig a deep hole. My motto in the garden is (as much as possible) "let the worms do the digging".