Some of our clients have been asking about biochar, a nutrient-rich soil amendment that also helps sequester carbon by keeping it out of the atmosphere. Sounds too good to be true? Here’s the story…
Biochar is similar to charcoal, in that both are made by slowly burning wood and other woody bio-waste into a charred substance. The main difference is that charcoal is burned for fuel, thus releasing its carbon into the atmosphere. Biochar is buried in the soil, adding nutrients while capturing the carbon and preventing its release. Biochar is thought to have originated in the Amazon Basin some 2,000 years ago. Today’s concerns about climate change have renewed an interest in biochar production and use.
If you have poor soil quality, or live on hillside property with thin, nutrient-deficient soil, an application of biochar can be quite beneficial:
Due to its physical and chemical properties, biochar adds and retains nutrients and provides a rich environment for beneficial soil microbes to thrive.
It can help porous, sandy soils retain more water and help dense, clayey soils distribute water more evenly.
The climate benefits because the carbon stays in the ground for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Equinox Landscape just completed a quarter-acre (approximately 10,000 sf) biochar landscape installation at a residence near downtown Sonoma. As a first step in the overall landscape design, we applied about a quarter-inch layer of biochar to the nutrient-poor soil. To that we added a layer of compost, then sheet-mulched the entire area. The newly installed plants will soak up the nutrients and transform the property into a thriving oasis.
Dig deeper:
We recommend reading The Biochar Solution: Carbon Farming and Climate Change by Albert Bates.
You can watch part of a YouTube interview with Bates here
We are excited to start using this revived ancient technology as part of our commitment to sustainable landscape practices. Find out if your property could benefit from a biochar application. Call us at 707-789-9786.