For gardeners and farmers, loamy soil conditions are ideal because it holds moisture but drains well, ensuring sufficient air can reach the roots. It is considered ideal for most plants. A premium biochar soil conditioner and compost can amend it to make it even better. Expect higher crop yields or bigger blooms when using it.
Rejuvenating soil health with Wakefield BioChar products is as easy as mixing it with soil during composting, potting, or tilling. How much biochar you use for loamy soil will depend on how the soil is used and how badly it needs remediation, but most gardens will want roughly 5% – 10% of the planting area to be biochar. There are good reasons to be excited about its benefits in home gardens and agriculture.
What is Loamy Soil?
Why is loamy soil the most favored of all soil types? For the answer, look at how it is structured.
Soil particles are classified into three major groups:
- Sand–These largest particles do not hold water well but allow good airflow.
- Clay–While these particles are the smallest, they neither drain well nor permit aeration.
- Silt–The properties of these medium-sized particles fall between clay and sand.
Loamy soil consists of all three types of particles, evenly distributed. Loamy soil provides a healthy balance, as it possesses the best qualities of all particles. Rich in nutrients, loamy soil also contains the minerals plants need.
How Loamy Soil Affects Plant Growth
For most plants, loamy soil proves the ideal place to grow. It holds moisture well while maintaining good drainage. That means roots receive sufficient air to thrive.
The balance of soil particles in loam makes it very fertile. For instance, the large sand grains help prevent compaction. Beneficial microorganisms and worms move freely through loamy soil. Silty particles allow the clay and sand particles to blend well together.
Because loamy soils drain well, plants receive ample moisture without the risk of soggy roots. When rain is scarce, plants fare better in drought-resistant loamy soils.
How Do You Amend Loamy Soil?
Loamy soil may require less amending than poor-quality soil, but improvement is always possible. Treating loamy soil by adding biochar boosts soil structure and can increase crop yields by as much as 10 percent. However, it is an ongoing process. Each fall, use biochar as well as organic matter, such as composted livestock manure, garden compost, or peat moss.
What Is Biochar?
What is biochar, and why is it so beneficial to the soil? It is created via pyrolysis, a process in which organic matter is superheated in a closed oven system without oxygen, which means that no harmful gases are emitted, making it a carbon-negative process. Biochar has been used to improve soil since ancient times. It was first used in the Amazon Basin as a soil amendment approximately 2,500 years ago. Adding biochar created terra preta, a fertile black soil.
Does Biochar Improve Loamy Soil Fertility?
Biochar can improve loamy soil’s water retention, aeration, drainage, and other factors relating to soil fertility. Biochar can turn your good loamy soil into great soil.
How Biochar Enhances Water Retention With Loamy Soil
Biochar can increase water retention. While the clay in loamy soil already aids in water retention, biochar can assist in water and nutrient retention.
What Soil Conditions Does Biochar Treat?
Biochar treats multiple soil conditions, including:
- Sandy soils
- Clay soils
- Silt soils
- Polluted soils
According to Penn State, “Biochar has a long history of use in helping cultures flourish while living on lands without which it is likely that the culture would not have survived.”
Biochar Increases Microbial Activity
Beneficial microbes play an essential role in soil health. Microbial activity includes:
- Nutrient cycling
- Decomposition of organic matter
- Humus formation
As these microorganisms decompose organic matter, growth is sustained by the nutrients and carbon found in the organic matter. Biochar increases microbial activity in the soil. It is especially useful in lower-quality soils where acidity or compaction is an issue.
Biochar Enables Carbon Sequestration
Climate change poses a significant risk to our planet. Atmospheric carbon has been unbalanced due to fossil fuel use since the Industrial Revolution. Too much carbon results in the greenhouse effect, the primary cause of global warming.
Biochar helps mitigate climate change via carbon sequestration. By adding biochar to the soil, carbon is captured and stored. Otherwise, this carbon would oxidize and end up in the atmosphere.
Biochar Sustainability
The sustainability of biochar is second to none. Biochar has improved the soil for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. We have decades of experience converting biomass waste from paper mills into biochar.
Carbon credits are part of an international strategy to mitigate greenhouse gas growth. These credits are certified by governments or independent bodies, each representing the reduction of one ton of metric carbon. We supply carbon credits through our production of biochar from these wood wastes.
By using biochar on their lawns, gardens, or farms, our customers can reduce their carbon footprint, help the environment, and enjoy healthier and more bountiful gardens or crops.
Learn More From Wakefield Biochar
At Wakefield Biochar, we offer a variety of biochar products, including Wakefield Compost + Biochar, Wakefield Premium Compost, and our premium biochar. Learn more about how our products can improve your property and your planet. Better soils create a greener world.