Hi folks,
I found this link on another forum: http://deltafarmpress.com/news/051114-terra-preta/
This article describes the so-called "Dark Earth" of the Amazon, a soil that locals bag and sell as potting soil. This soil is man-made, with unusually high charcoal content, the result of "slash and char" burning thousands of years ago. The charcoal apparently adsorbs a great deal of nutrients, leaches nutrients from the soil very slowly, and has decent water-holding capacity. These soils are incredibly productive and can be used without any fertilizer for as long as 40 years. There is some research suggesting that microbiologic activity is important in these soils.
Now I have seen specialty potting soils with charcoal for orchids and African violets. I'm wondering about the inclusion of charcoal as a general potting soil amendment. Has anyone tried it? Soilless or soil-based?
I've got other related links if anyone is interested. SB
Charcoal as amendment
I use some charcoal in my potted water plants... cypress pots have dirt and charcoal in them . I'd use it in lots of pots .. it is good for drainage and water retention... providing increasded below the surface air...
Gordon
Jungle growth claims it is added in their potting mix.
charcoal use in potted plants absorbs impurities when plants are watered.
charcoal can also be used as house deodorant as it absorbs polluted air in the home atmosphere.
when using charcoal, use only hardwood natural wood charcoal NOT charcoal brickets. http://www.hydroponics.com/articles/carbonfilter.html
in the Philippines, or at least in my family, plant can not be potted or repotted without charcoal in the pot. since natural wood charcoal are sometime difficult to find, i use horticultural charcoal, some times lava rocks.
in some asian communities, deodorant charcoal filter are very pricey. i make my own, keep the house smelling fresh all the time. jmo.
Yes, MaVieRose, you cannot use charcoal briquets, the binders make them useless. According to my reading you can use softwood conifer charcoal, it actually has a pH closer to neutral than the more alkaline hardwood charcoal.
The charcoal not only traps impurities, it is supposed to bind and slowly release nutrients as well. I came across an interesting study of charcoal amendments which looked at nutrient leachates, and the leachates in the charcoal amended soil were nearly zero. SB
SB.... when i was young, i really never unstood why we have to use charcoal in plants, until i came to the U.S. where i have the opportunity to do research. all i know was... all the plants we had then, are all healthy and strong. none of the problems common around here without the charcoal in pots.
MaVie, Is it a family secret,or can you tell us how to make the deodorant charcoal filters?
Edna.... not exactly a deodorant, but charcoal will absorb all bad odors in the air. no, it is not a secret at all.
1. buy a bag of natural hardwood charcoal @ Walmart. about $5.00 a bag.
2. maybe u have some bowl laying around, if not buy @ Salvation Army or the 99¢ store a nice bowl, deep enough to hold the charcoal and marbles or multicolored small rocks [this can also be bought at Walmart or 99¢ store.]
3. sort the charcoal, pick the tallest and fat ones in the bunch. set aside. get as much as u may need.
4. take a rubber band, get about 4-8 pieces of charcoal [depending on size], stand them up and secure them with rubber band. gently pick up the charcoal, place inside the bowl. sprinkle decorative/multicolored rock or marbles - to secure charcoal in the center of bowl. u're done!!!
make as many bowl as needed. i have one in the kitchen, one in bathroom, one in livingroom and 1 in bedroom.
my SIL bought hers at a Korean store cost nearly $50.00. only difference is she has a nice cheapo ming style bowl for one room deodorizer. with all 4 i have, i only spend less than $15.00 for all materials. u can be extravagant with materials u use. what i made is out of necessity. be artistic with ur arrangement. good luck. let me know how urs came out. how it work for u.
Thanks MaVie, That sounds great and easy. Next trip to WalMart I'll pick up some hardwood charcoal.
u're welcome Edna. lmk how it work for u in the future.
MaVie, how often should you change the charcoal?
when the charcoal begin to deteriorate, or when u notice the charcoal does not work anymore. u will know cuz, if u have a charcoal deodorant/filter around, the air around u is clean... no annoying smell. in the winter, when all doors, windows are closed. u can walk in the house, there are no disturbing smell at all. my SIL has hers for 3 yrs. now, still has not changed hers.
what is wonderful about this charcoal deodorant/filter to have around, u do not need to buy nor use any spray that is sometimes irritating or annoying to use.
it took me a while to make my own deorant/filter cuz i had a hard time finding natural wood charcoal.
wow, this is interesting........I will try to remember to buy some hardwood charcoal when in the states to bring back......
thanks for the tip Mavie
Pebble,
look around the area where u live, am sure people where u live have use for wood charcoal. after all, that is the area where Kebabs comes from. a friendly reminder. hehehehe
u know me, i love to share. u're welcome.