To the point

[J. C. Walker,Jr.]

I’d rather be talking about bio-char or terra prieta if you will. My wood stove allows me to control the air intake. Giving a lower supply of Oxygen is the goal in achieving pyralysis . At the end of the night I add a  stick of wood and reduce the intake. The small black charcoal pieces and ash are added to the compost pile for a week or two then combined with a wheelbarrow of fertile forest soil, some pond scum, a small bucket of clam shells (broken), mycyliated wood chips (local varieties). In a perfect world this would then set for a thousand years. Unfortunately due to time constraints, I’ve had to narrow it down to more like a month. My first application to the red cedars and hemlocks I’ve planted over the past seven years were stunning. The results began quickly and continue to impress me. I want to try it on an older Douglas fir next, and maybe the apple trees as well. It adds remarkable vitality. It’s something to try at home.

[J. C. Walker,Jr.]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta