Originally Posted by PR-Giants

We use tons of biochar, it's lightweight, absorbent, and easily breaks with your hands.



https://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdige...arbon-markets/

First, let’s explain the basic difference between THREE materials: activated carbon, charcoal and biochar. Activated carbon, also known as activated charcoal and several other ‘active/activated source-material’ names, all come down to the implication of the modifier ìactivatedî. When used in conjunction with adsorbents, ‘activated’ refers to a small set of processing techniques that increase the internal microporosity of the original carbon-rich source material. All ‘activation’ processes remove individual carbon atoms and create individual nooks and crannies in the carbon-rich material, which are the adsorption sites. The key to activated carbon is that it is optimized for specific adsorption application (water, vapor, certain adsorbates, etc.) and the adsorption capacity is packed into as dense a material as possible to minimize the volume of adsorbent necessary. In the end, activated carbon is an adsorbent ñ intended to remove something, typically organic compounds, from either vapor or liquid streams.

Biochar vs charcoal

In contrast, Charcoal is a fuel that is used for cooking and other heat generating applications and created by heating biomass, typically wood, under conditions of limited oxygen. In general, charcoal burns hotter and with less smoke than the starting biomass, and also can convert mineral ores to the corresponding metals, inspiring a series of ages: bronze, iron, etc.

Biochar is made in the same manner as charcoal, but it is intended for utilization as an adsorbent and/or a soil amendment. Basically, the key is the end use of the material. It is charcoal if it is intended to be used as a fuel; hence it is manufactured with optimal fuel properties. In contrast, if the intended use is adsorption or as a soil amendment, then it is manufactured to a different set of properties and labeled biochar. As a result, biochar shares properties with activated carbon and charcoal, but has a few unique features that distinguish it from both.

While biochar shares adsorption properties with activated carbon, it also exhibits a significant amount of ion exchange capacity, a property that is minimal or absent in traditional activated carbons. The ion exchange property, which is usually measured and reported as ‘cation exchange capacity’, is due to residual carboxylic acid functionalities on the biochar graphitic backbone. Since activation removes any residual side chain aliphatic groups, activated carbons have reduced ionic interactions.

The other big differences between biochar and activated carbons are bulk density and mechanical hardness. Activated carbon is intended for applications where packing as much adsorption capacity into a fixed volume is paramount, like gas masks and fixed-bed adsorbers. In addition, activated carbon can be regenerated and reused in many applications, so mechanical hardness (also known as the lack of friability) allows the carbon to be moved without falling apart or breaking down in particle size.

If one combines the lower adsorption per unit weight of biochar with the lower bulk density, the resulting adsorption capacity on a volume basis is 1/6th to 1/12th that of high quality activated carbons. For this reason, biochar is typically used in applications where the material is spread out on the ground, so low density is not a disadvantage. In fact, in soil applications, where an important property is the ability to capture excess precipitation and retain it, the low density of biochar translates into additional voids that can fill when it rains.

Unique properties

Biochar is a material that is preferred when several of its unique properties can be exploited in the same application. The unique properties of biochar include low density (providing additional voidage and aeration in the soil), significant adsorption and cation exchange capacity, and the ability to promote living microbiology in the soil, enhancing the ìSoil Food Webî. Combining these properties leads to a predictable selection criteria for when to consider activated carbons versus biochar.

Originally Posted by aruzinsky

Do you have empirical proof that biochar improves the growth of plants? I would like to see a side by side comparison of plants grown in soil or potting media with biochar versus perlite because I am not going to use biochar based on theory alone.

Originally Posted by PR-Giants

We grow a lot of large bunches because we want to know what is the minimum we need to do to produce acceptable size bunches.

These bunches are either the first plant crop or the first ratoon crop of some cultivars the local USDA Tropical Research Station gave us to evaluate.

Originally Posted by pjkfarm

BUT have no idea as to how much to use of it or what best to mix it with.

Originally Posted by cincinnana

ME Too...

Lump is good and HOT and will put a nice fast wanted char on a piece of beef.
Making me hungry just typing it

However for the Backyard Gardner....
Go to the Store and buy a bag of Lump Charcoal any brand will do.
Lay the lump charcoal on the driveway and bust it up in small pieces.

Mix a alittle Espoma Organic Garden Fertilizer or another product of your choice in the charcoal bits . Lightly wet it the mix and let sit for a bit... mix well.
And now you can put it in your favorite mix.
Each piece of charcoal will now be an oasis of nutrients for your plants.

Originally Posted by pjkfarm

So what happened with this thread? Two Questions: the difference between biochar and activated was described, but not biochar and charcoal (conflicting notes as one line said they were the same, another suggested there were differences). We have large quantities of charcoal left over from disposal of land clearing debris - often thought of the bio-char in the Amazon and the stories about the wonders it did down there.

Originally Posted by aruzinsky

Do you have empirical proof that biochar improves the growth of plants? I would like to see a side by side comparison of plants grown in soil or potting media with biochar versus perlite because I am not going to use biochar based on theory alone.

Originally Posted by PR-Giants

Biochar/horticultural charcoal has a high cation ratio

Perlite has a cation ratio of zero

Moisture is also important for plants and biochar/horticultural charcoal holds much more moisture than perlite and lump charcoal holds very little.

Originally Posted by Aruzinsky

Why don't you just perform an experiment that shows that biochar is better? Just plant two identical plants in pots, one with biochar and one with perlite and let the plants grow. It doesn't even have to be bananas.

Originally Posted by Snarkie

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I added a little bit to this bed earlier this year, along with some other odds and ends. I learned the secret of Terra Preta years ago while creating soil for my dawn redwoods, and biochar is a major contributor to it.

Perlite is essentially inert; it's like puffy popcorn sand that allows drainage, but charcoal not only allows that space, it is very absorbent. 1 gram of the stuff has the same surface area of several football fields. 5 gallons of char eventually absorbed 6 gallons of urine. I daresay that 5 gallons of Perlite might absorb less than a half gallon if that; mostly due to surface tension.

Not trying to inject myself into someone else's argument, but this is my experience with biochar. In addition to the 20" leaves on the pumpkins (usually around 6-8"), even the tomato to the left has 6" leaves according to the ruler, and in a few weeks, you'll see the harvest as it begins to ripen. I've never had this many maters or cukes on the vine, and my parsley is close to two feet tall.

BTW, that's a steel ruler that leaf is supporting. Think they grow 'em big in Texas? Texas ain't got nuthin' on North Carolina!

Originally Posted by cincinnana

Its grill season again.
During the holidays lump griling charcoal is on sale at the big box stores

Pick up a bag and pound it to small pieces to make your inexpensive
soil conditioners.

A little goes a long way and it lasts forever plus your soilless mix or soil will benefit greatly.

Originally Posted by cincinnana

ME Too...

Lump is good and HOT and will put a nice fast wanted char on a piece of beef.
Making me hungry just typing it

However for the Backyard Gardner....
Go to the Store and buy a bag of Lump Charcoal any brand will do.
Lay the lump charcoal on the driveway and bust it up in small pieces.

Mix a alittle Espoma Organic Garden Fertilizer or another product of your choice in the charcoal bits . Lightly wet it the mix and let sit for a bit... mix well.
And now you can put it in your favorite mix.
Each piece of charcoal will now be an oasis of nutrients for your plants.

Originally Posted by Snarkie

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I added a little bit to this bed earlier this year, along with some other odds and ends. I learned the secret of Terra Preta years ago while creating soil for my dawn redwoods, and biochar is a major contributor to it.

Perlite is essentially inert; it's like puffy popcorn sand that allows drainage, but charcoal not only allows that space, it is very absorbent. 1 gram of the stuff has the same surface area of several football fields. 5 gallons of char eventually absorbed 6 gallons of urine. I daresay that 5 gallons of Perlite might absorb less than a half gallon if that; mostly due to surface tension.

Not trying to inject myself into someone else's argument, but this is my experience with biochar. In addition to the 20" leaves on the pumpkins (usually around 6-8"), even the tomato to the left has 6" leaves according to the ruler, and in a few weeks, you'll see the harvest as it begins to ripen. I've never had this many maters or cukes on the vine, and my parsley is close to two feet tall.

BTW, that's a steel ruler that leaf is supporting. Think they grow 'em big in Texas? Texas ain't got nuthin' on North Carolina!

Originally Posted by Snarkie

Okay Mike, I'll bite...

Perlite is essentially rock popcorn and can't retain moisture. Good for drainage, but that's it. Lump charcoal is hydrophobic and will actually shed water like a dry sponge. Biochar has been inoculated and dampened, and will absorb water and nutrients like a damp sponge.

With what he said, do you disagree?