The right soil amendment is needed to sustain healthy plants, gardens, trees, and lawns. Knowing how to use biochar, a plant-based, all-natural soil conditioner, is vital to improving your natural landscape. At Wakefield BioChar, we have seen the many benefits of our products. The key to using our organic soil amendment is using the correct methods and techniques outlined here.
Using Biochar to Improve Your Soil
Here are some key considerations to remember after you buy biochar and apply it to your soil:
Incorporation Into Soil
You’ll need to use one cubic foot bag for every 100 square feet of soil for newly planted lawns. Biochar should penetrate two to four inches into the ground. It can also be added to the root systems when planting trees and shrubs.
Adding to Compost
Biochar becomes even more effective when it’s combined with organic compost. Compost is nutrient-rich, but these nutrients can be leached away when soil quality is poor. Thanks to biochar’s impressive absorption ability, it retains the nutrients in compost within the soil and prevents them from draining away along with water.
Garden Beds
Regarding how to use biochar in your garden, the soil amendment must penetrate from four to six inches. As for the amount, a garden bed measuring four feet by eight feet will require one bag equal to one cubic foot. As with other applications, add ample water for about one week.
Safety is also important with biochar, so exercise care when handling it. Adding water to biochar before application will reduce the inhalation of dust particles. Biochar should also be stored in dry, cool areas and away from flammable substances.
As Top Dressing
If using biochar to condition an existing lawn, start by aerating the soil, then apply biochar and rake vigorously. Over the next week, ensure the soil remains sufficiently moist via frequent watering. As for how much biochar to use, apply one bag (measuring one cubic foot) for every 375 square feet of lawn.
Other Uses for Biochar
Along with amending and conditioning lawns, gardens, and trees, biochar also has many other effective and practical uses:
Composting Toilets
Composting toilets can be used when camping or as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plumbing. They’re composed of two compartments, one for liquid waste and one for solid, eliminating the need for water.
Separate compartments are key, but biochar offers more effective odor control and can be used as compost thanks to its absorbent properties.
Livestock Bedding
When saturated with urine and manure, livestock bedding can become unpleasant. In this case, biochar is the perfect amendment, as it efficiently absorbs liquid waste and eliminates odors.
Incorporating manure and biochar also ensures the resulting compost is far more nutrient-rich. This benefits farms, as it can infuse plants and crops with the nutrients they need to thrive.
Aquaponics
Aquaponics is a sustainable method utilized by fish farms. As fish expel waste, the surrounding water becomes rich in nutrients. When plants are grown in these hydroponic environments, this nutrient-rich water will facilitate a more robust growth cycle.
For an even greater uptake of nutrients, biochar can be added to the hydroponic growth process. It ensures that nutrients within the water have the most significant impact on plants to facilitate a healthy growth rate.
Wakefield BioChar Is Ideal for Residential and Commercial Uses
Whether you’re seeking an all-natural soil amendment for home use or you’re a wholesaler in search of quality products to provide to retailers, you’re sure to find value in the products offered by Wakefield BioChar. We welcome questions and queries regarding what biochar is and how it can help your plants and the environment.