Great video. Totally agree about the benefits of biochar. I started loading up my soil with it starting last summer and my lawn has never looked better this time of year. It's great stuff.
I put a heavier coat of Bio Char down on my old lawn last May 21. A neighbor this past April 22 took some drone pictures of his property which are posted on the MLS as for sale. I got to see how my old lawn had greened up way ahead of the neighboring lawns. So I think bio char definitely works. I have two bags ready to go for my current lawn, but am waiting until my seedlings get underway and established.
Outstanding video. One thing you just lightly hit is very important. Lawn nuts who indiscriminately put tons of fertilizer on their lawns that runoff and creates pollution will benefit from biochar. At its best biochar will lock up fertilizer that would otherwise runoff and cause pollution. If you build a decent biochar layer you should see a dramatic decrease in the amount of fertilizer your lawn needs. Biochar is an excellent amendment to work into your landscape beds as well. Love the stuff!!!
I bought a bag of The Andersons Humic DG last fall when I did some over seeding and put one application down then. This spring it was the first thing put on my lawn in early spring, my lawn greened up quicker than the rest of my neighborhood. I waited about 3 weeks and put down my regular fertilizer. And boy let me tell you my lawn looks amazing. Its getting very thick and filling in bare spots. The Andersons make great products i will be using more. I have used several tips from your videos too. Used Jonathan Greene black beauty ultra seed, and have used tenacity for weed control. Great info as always thanks.!
I’ve had trouble with my JGBBU seed. It’s been several weeks but I’ve had almost no seedlings pop up. Should I try again and mix it or top dress with a little compost maybe?
@@PCConditioning that sounds like a good plan. To be honest mine took right away last fall. I had some areas I didn't address last fall and waited till this spring and its been slow. In hindsight if I had known how good the fall was going to be last year I would have planted more then. But so far I have been happy with the seed. Does your area have enough light and moisture? Definitely keep the seed wet during the germination period. Good luck.
Been using biochar for the past year! biggest benefit I found that is actually visible is the fact that it's like little sponges in your soil that help hold on to water and moisture for when the grass needs it the most during dry conditions... These little sponges releasing water is very helpful during the drought conditions when it gets real hot in the summer. The visible difference is your yard will stay green longer during the Heat and it'll look even deeper green than your neighbors when not heat stressed... It's the best I've found so far and better than hydretain.. it's only reduced my water and by about 25 to 30%... so water is still Key.. I'd say 70% of people out there underwater...it's unreal how much water warm season turf actually needs during the summer time in the South when it's 90 to 100 degrees everyday.... Don't believe me? just go visit your local golf course or country club and compare how much water they use when they run the sprinklers each night, day, or both depending on the weather conditions and syringe the greens by hand with the hose... compared to what you do water... that's ONE big reason why their Turf looks that way in addition to a few other reasons all maintenance related
You're right, water is key for lawns and vegetables. If a lawn is every stressed for water, then it must recover, if it can. Plants feed via water so no water, no nutrients. No water, no lawn. What happens when a lawn is stressed? Every pest in the world wants to eat it. What happens if a lawn is over stimulated by chemical fertilizers? Same thing. What happens when you put pesticides on your soil? You kill beneficial microbes and fungi. Cause and effect. It can be simple or complicated. Going a chemical route makes it complicated, difficult and expensive, in my opinion.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. My yard started off as a weed filled disaster. If you haven't watched it, see what it looked like just a few years ago: czcams.com/video/c54WSOI-MMc/video.html
I’m on my 2nd yr of putting down Humichar. It is definitely making a difference. I have some pretty compacted spots in my lawn and it is already starting to soften them up. My soil is just crap in general, pretty much and when you dig a little you can see it is darkening up the soil. Also noticed I didn’t need to run the sprinklers as much to keep the grass green.
That's great to hear. I was surprised when I was taking my soil test to see my soil looking a little darker than usual. We have a huge amount of sandy in our soil due to the area so its always difficult to keep enough water in the soil. I am wondering if this might be starting to help a little. Good to hear you experience with this!
Try using a liquid Humic acid a few times throughout each season. Its great for softening the surface layer and penetrates deeper into the soil. It also chelates nutrients in the soil to make them easier to be taking up by your lawn. Also liquid or manual aeration will do wonders for softening and penetration of water and additives you put into your soil.
Just sent off a soil sample from My Soil Test. Have a bag of ANDERSONS BioChar going down today!!! Your videos are giving me the most amazing lawn. Thanks
Great video SC, the Doc turned me into HumiChar/Biochar. This is my second year applying it and the lawn is super healthy, recovered from winter fantastically. I also recommend this product, DG granules are infiltrating the soil quickly. Great video, keep up great work. Cheers.
I don't think I heard this mentioned in the review.. but farmers way back in the old days and when they were allowed, used to do a controlled, smothered and safe burn of their topmost layer to efficiently clear all the dead and dried up crop remains. My in-laws live on the next door neighbor's childhood house and property of 3 acre which was farm, and that's what was done back in the 40s or 50s. The neighbor says their grasses would always be green with real grass every season. And the property to this day is still green all on its own, though it has become about 20% crab. This bio char and their process is essentially a product that replicates that controlled burn.
Adding biochar to your soil has so many benefits. But it is not a one trick pony. It takes time and more than one application to reap the benefits. I’ve been putting it down for three or four years now, 2x each year. Anderson’s DG is nice that it breaks down so quickly. But again the process of it all takes time even years to fully notice the effects of it. The best part of biochar is you can put down as much as you want, whenever you want. There are Inexpensive alternatives to the Anderson’s products that will do the same. But to each their own.
Hi SC. Great video. I have been using Humic DG since last fall. I drove down to AM Leonard and bought 10 bags on sale this spring and have been putting it down monthly to condition the soil. I am seeing great, and I mean GREAT results. I have been thinking about the BioChar. I completely see the benefits of using it. I can justify the expense, as it is part of my strategy to back off on watering (practically pays for itself). Is there a reason why you didn’t put down the BioChar with the 2000 SR? You have two great spreaders. I don’t know how you choose. Glad I only have the 2000 SR, so choosing is easy for me. Lol.
This is good info... I just picked up the biochar with humic acid. I'll then water it in with my liquid aeration mix. My soil still needs a lot of help.
If you have ever seen how beautiful things grow after a fire, it would be kind of like what this product is giving you! I think the Amazon pic is what that soil looks like continually, due to the vegetation, river water, and constant rains they get!
Great information. I use humichar on my Bermuda two years running. I still get a few hot spots probably due to high sand soil. I think I’ll get Biochar for a few applications. Greatly enjoy all your videos. I’m so loving my fluid extractor for oil changes. Serviced my genrac this spring.
I don't want to overblow this stuff but it is the only thing I changed at the end of last year and I am surprised how quickly things have come to life here.
I'm going to have to try this tip. Also, I live in MA and your videos have helped me tremendously to get a better understanding what's wrong with my lawn and most effective action steps to improve it. (May need to bite bullet on Tenacity) Currently have a mess going on w/ roughly 65/35 mix (grass to weeds respectively), so I'm hoping to have a better looking lawn next Spring following your guidance. Thanks for the solid knowledge!
Just bought a bag to try. I’m hopeful but my soil here in Utah is an absolute mystery to me. Thanks for the tip nevertheless. I joked with my wife that I’d buy a property on them moon if it were in one of your videos and you recommended it. Haha. Cheers!
@@SilverCymbal You recommended the Toro Timemaster, I bought it and absolutely love it! It's perfect for my 3/4 acre which just too small to justify a riding mower.
Biochar is charcoal with the volatile compounds burned out of it, so it pretty much carbon. Charcoal still has tars in it that vaporize and burn. They are not the same things, and you should not uss charcoal on your lawn. Innoculated biochar contains cultures of mychorizal bacteria that are symbiotic and beneficial to your plants. These bacteria help with nitrogen uptake among other things. The biochar is porous, so, as rhe video explained, can help retain moisture, and the pores also are the perfect habitat for the bacteria. The inoculants are particularly beneficial to trees and shrubs, and are used to create the bacterial colonies in sterile soils such as in new developments or if a certain type of tree has not been present in the area...the type of bacteria introduced. It is recommended to also apply after aerating the lawn in order to get it deeper in the root zone. For trees, it is often made into a slurry and injected around the roots.
I disagree. Properly made biochar should contain no volatiles, ideally. The part that contains volatiles is not biochar, unless you can convince me otherwise. This is a huge problem with biochar - so much of it isn't actually biochar. Tars are volatiles. Everything that is volatile breaks out of solid form into tar gasses, then reduces to more simpler volatiles. Your first sentence I have no problem with but I believe you gave well intended, bad advice after that, about not using it.
@@nedg3740 Then lump charcoal isn't charcoal, only partially. Volatiles are intentionally left in cooking charcoal by design. The reason this is complicated is the same reason baking sourdough has been made complicated. It has to do with us, not charcoal or bread. When charcoal is as pure as you can get it, the only thing left volatile is carbon.
Any particular time of the year this should / should not be applied - assume best in spring rather than in the hot summer? What about putting down before/ after a fertilizer application - does it matter either way?
Absolutely. This started being popular with home gardeners all over. Its great that this product is even organic and can be used anywhere that plants grow.
Not familiar with Biochar but willing to give it a try. I did, after state university (PSU) soil analysis, apply lots of lime to yard this past year. Would you recommend Biochar after a such an application?. Your lawn looks great and your videos are very helpful.
My understanding is that you can put bio char down basically whenever you want. I don’t think it does much of anything in terms of changing the soil pH. You can put it down with new grass seed or with other fertilizer, or in combo with Humic acid.
Biochar isn't at all difficult to produce and hardly requires tightly controlled conditions. 1)Pile up wood that's suitible to burn. 2)Burn it most of the way down. 3)Douse it with a sprayer until you stop hearing the hiss of steam and stop seeing white ash form. 4)Collect the light and brittle pieces of char, leave the partially charred bits to make the next fire easier to start. 5)Soak and rinse the char to get rid of excess alkaline ash components(non-chlorinated water is preferable). 6)Grind to desired size, sieve if you want to get picky about the size, or otherwise just use as it. Drying before grinding, sieving, or use is optional and based on preference or application. A bit tedious, a bit less efficient than industrial methods, but certainly not difficult, complicated, or easy to mess up.
2. Burn it all the way down, I say, and get it as hot as you can, then extinguish. Here's something I learned recently about crushing, after doing this for a long time: 1. Put your homemade biochar in water overnight. 2. throw out the floaters, gently. You want to keep the charcoal settled on the bottom as much as possible. 3. pour off most of the water, gently, slowly so as to not pour out your fine char. 4. Crush with a hefty piece of something, metal, 2x4 wood, whatever you have or can get ahold of. 5. You can, and this is a good idea, sieve out the smaller pieces with a homemade sieve or whatever you can buy, then crush the remainder, instead of crushing all of it. It depends upon your desired particle sizes but it will help a lot if you sieve out what is small enough, as you go. Then you're not trying to crush already crushed biochar. Another grinding method I saw was an outdoor installed garbage disposal. That should work well but I haven't done it. Keep it up.
They charge a fortune for biochar and you dont have to burn your own wood to make it. Buy a bag of pure hardwood charcoal, crush it and soak in water with some compost for a few days. Boom, biochar. Does not really work in a lawn spreader, but great for your flower and veggie beds.
How about using my fireplace ashes? Since that product broke down so easily with water the end result looked like when I put some of my ashes in water.
You could try it, I’ve used my ashes from my fire pit for years in my garden. You can boil the ashes, and it becomes potash, which I’m guessing does the same as this. Good luck
Native Americans used to make their super soils, from using leaves, urine and ash/charred pieces of wood from massive bonfires, mixed up, it does amazing things....
Silver Cymbal, first, good job, far better than most on this subject. In response: 1. Biochar is charcoal is carbon. Confusion on this partly comes from the fact that a lot of charcoal isn't actually charcoal, it's coal or other things too. Biochar = carbon = charcoal. Also, however, not all biochar is very pure carbon and then I argue it is not biochar or charcoal, only partially so, less pure and therefore can be quite different. Quality matters. 2. Is there actually a 100% pure carbon biochar, pure charcoal? I don't think so but it can come very close, like greater than 99% pure carbon. 3. Does biochar disolve in water? Not in my experience and I have my 10,000 hours in. It will suspend in water. Even ash appears to mostly suspend in water. Eventually, everything settles, or appears to. 4. About the terra preta soils in the Amazon, the theory I like most is that charcoal was incorporated in their waste stream, including human waste. That theory explains a lot of things, such as certain nutrient concentrations in the soil. Remember, these were large settlements, recorded by the spanish quiet well. Of course, those populations mostly disappeared, and quickly. 5. Why did you soil green more quickly in spring? Here's a theory which is easy to support and, in my experience, impossible to disprove: The soil warmed more quickly due to increased microbial activity. So, what does that mean? Add more organic matter to feed the microbes and the grass, with help from microbes, will feed itself. You feed the microbes. The grass feeds the microbes. Microbial waste products feed the grass along with higher organisms. This about feeding microbes, is, of course, well known and not theory. It's also quite fun and interesting. Biochar and microbes are teammates. Well done and thanks
I just laid seed I live in Central California i believe its a transition zone. The home is new therfore there was no prior landscaping. I went with tall fescue and used compost to cover the seed to help it germinate. Its been a two weeks now and the grass has sprouted well. I wanted to add the Andersons Starter Fertilizer would it be ok to do that along with the Andersons Humic DG?
Afaik pretty much biochar is charcoal in very small size. You can grind charcoal or make biochar from very small starting material like sawdust or wheat/rice husks
To combat mole crickets, encourage mockingbirds and Bluebirds. They love mole crickets, open areas, people and waterbaths. Set water traps - water that mole crickets can fall into but can't crawl out of. Feed trapped Mole crickets to bluebirds, mockingbirds. The birds will be looking for you. Put up bluebird houses. Those two birds feed exactly like hawks, except on lawn pests. I kid you not and it is fun to watch.
@@abecoulter8550 I'll try to check you out but my guess is you are making biochar or thinking about it and probably you're capturing energy from manure. Lots of potential for big manure guys who can invest in their manure. Waste products become resources, some say.
@@snookmeister55 so what we do it get a JCB loader and scrape out feed lot pens then it get loaded into a hopper mixer where in a big silo there is bio char, so not only is it very rich in nitrates but th bio char absorbs alot of the nutrients, then mixed with grass hay and then loaded into an 18 ton agri-hire muck spreader, then out to the paddock and spread, about 16ton per hectare, going about 6kmph in the paddock
No, Milorganite is a slow release fertilizer made from biosolids (cooked human waste basically). Biochar is a soil amendment, basically slow burned wood kind of like charcoal. It has no fertilizer, it's supposed to help your soil hold more nutrients.
@@benharrison5816 really helps hold the micronutrients that many home owners forget. Those micronutrients help feed the beneficial microbes that breakdown grass clippings and keep soil from getting compacted
Both good stuff, but different. Humic acid helps the lawn better use nutrients, fertilizers. Biochar becomes a better way to reduce ompaction, add moisture and increase holding capacity in the lawn.
Biochar DG is all biochar. Humichar looks to be 1/2 biochar 1/2 humic acid which is good amzn.to/3htDS0s But you are still only getting 1/2 as much of each. Either way will work, I find it a little easier to just one the stand alone versions. This way I know just what I put down and exactly how much.
I have put down Humic DG in the past, would you recommend Biochar over that? I think most homeowners can’t afford 2 different soil amendments that cost about $70/bag. I may just split the difference and get LCNs product that has both biochar and humic, we’ll see.
Things can get expensive. Usually combo products are just giving you less of each one since Biochar is mechanical and chemical meaning using less gives less results. If you want to keep a lower budget you could even alternate and use one year or the other or buy both and apply 1.2 as much and make your own mix. The biochar part I like is that it remains in the soil, its one of the few things that doesn't get used up completely.
I have a recommendation on fertilizer - don't use chemical fertilizers, use organics. Fertilizer is a regulatory term with a specific meaning, specifically having to do with analysis. Fertilizers can be either chemical or organic so try organic. Compost is great. Milorganite works, particularly for lawns but a healthy lawn and soil feeds itself if you give it sufficient water. That's my experience.
Wouldnt you want it to NOT dissolve fast, so it does the intended purposed of maintaining its porous structure and absorbing the nutrients and water that would be wasted for a slower release?
Biochar was used by Amazonians to build up soil. Also, it improves drainage, can be used to help drain your soil, if there is somewhere to drain to, a lower spot. No way can it make it worse but you need a lot. I suggest you start making it with waste wood, if you can get it.
In a lawn, yes, depending on many other things, such as you must water sufficiently and chop in organic matter, clippings, leaves as much as you can. Lawns are a money pit if you want a money pit but they needn't be. Plants engage in photosynthesis and send food down to the root zone, for microbes. That is part of the symbiosis between plants and microbes. Vegetables need more nutrients but they are easy to add and needn't be expensive.
If you get anything on your shoes, you can track it into your house, including biochar. Once it is added to the surface of your soil and is watered in, it becomes unlikely.
It will accumulate. There are no rules but a lot to learn. Whatever you add, you're sequestering carbon so there's no downside. Negative results are not unknown with bad products so try to make a good product. The worse your soil is, the better results are, generally speaking.
Biochar is stable and will not decompose, unless it is thermally decomposed (fire). Very small particles of biochar may be slowly consumed by microbes but probably not much during your lifetime.
Honestly it's greatest application is not for lawn, although it can help, particularly if your soil needs organic carbon. Most does. Also, did you notice the early greening? If you care about that, it can be attributed to the biochar. Biochar increased the microbial activity and that warmed the soil, causing early greening of the grass. This is repeatable if you want to try it. First, of course, you will need to notice when you lawn normally greens, or better yet, try half with biochar, half without. It might help to try it and you can make your own possibly.
Nice for the garden, but the carbon dioxide footprint seems bad to me. However, it turns out that it is actually not bad at all, as you read from the response by Snookmeister55.👌
Carbon is a problem in oceans and in our atmosphere but not in the ground. This is a huge subject but most carbon on the surface is in a cycle, earth to sky to earth to sky. Carbon becomes a problem when we dig it up and burn it, not when we capture it and add it to soil. So, no, not bad.
@@dayfree2485 No sir, only if you burn it. Over decades, centuries and millennia, some of it might return to the atmosphere if it is burned or consumed completely by microbes. It's an extremely slow process. If made properly, biochar should be stable in soil for thousands of years, just like in the Amazon. It's 2500 years old in some places in the amazon and very fertile due to absorbing nutrients from organic matter and rainfall. Charcoal filters work to filter water, right? Same thing in soil, charcoal absorbs. That's why if a person swallows poison, it would be a good idea to eat activated carbon. Carbon absorbs. Keep thinking about it.
Thanks for watching please LIKE & SUBSCRIBE - Biochar: amzn.to/3ouDb8J MySoilTest: amzn.to/3eQ4aZa
Awesome description of BioChar. You have a great way of explaining things. Your lawn is looking awesome!
Great video. Totally agree about the benefits of biochar. I started loading up my soil with it starting last summer and my lawn has never looked better this time of year. It's great stuff.
I put a heavier coat of Bio Char down on my old lawn last May 21. A neighbor this past April 22 took some drone pictures of his property which are posted on the MLS as for sale. I got to see how my old lawn had greened up way ahead of the neighboring lawns. So I think bio char definitely works. I have two bags ready to go for my current lawn, but am waiting until my seedlings get underway and established.
Outstanding video. One thing you just lightly hit is very important. Lawn nuts who indiscriminately put tons of fertilizer on their lawns that runoff and creates pollution will benefit from biochar. At its best biochar will lock up fertilizer that would otherwise runoff and cause pollution. If you build a decent biochar layer you should see a dramatic decrease in the amount of fertilizer your lawn needs. Biochar is an excellent amendment to work into your landscape beds as well. Love the stuff!!!
I love the analogy with the Bank Account!! That’s exactly what it is!! Another great video!!
I appreciate that, thank you
That part alone I'm gonna purchase a bag ASAP. THANK YOU!
I bought a bag of The Andersons Humic DG last fall when I did some over seeding and put one application down then. This spring it was the first thing put on my lawn in early spring, my lawn greened up quicker than the rest of my neighborhood. I waited about 3 weeks and put down my regular fertilizer. And boy let me tell you my lawn looks amazing. Its getting very thick and filling in bare spots. The Andersons make great products i will be using more. I have used several tips from your videos too. Used Jonathan Greene black beauty ultra seed, and have used tenacity for weed control. Great info as always thanks.!
I’ve had trouble with my JGBBU seed. It’s been several weeks but I’ve had almost no seedlings pop up. Should I try again and mix it or top dress with a little compost maybe?
@@PCConditioning that sounds like a good plan. To be honest mine took right away last fall. I had some areas I didn't address last fall and waited till this spring and its been slow. In hindsight if I had known how good the fall was going to be last year I would have planted more then. But so far I have been happy with the seed. Does your area have enough light and moisture? Definitely keep the seed wet during the germination period. Good luck.
Been using it for the past year no telling yet but I do believe it will help long term , I like the way you break things down 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Been using biochar for the past year! biggest benefit I found that is actually visible is the fact that it's like little sponges in your soil that help hold on to water and moisture for when the grass needs it the most during dry conditions...
These little sponges releasing water is very helpful during the drought conditions when it gets real hot in the summer.
The visible difference is your yard will stay green longer during the Heat and it'll look even deeper green than your neighbors when not heat stressed...
It's the best I've found so far and better than hydretain..
it's only reduced my water and by about 25 to 30%... so water is still Key.. I'd say 70% of people out there underwater...it's unreal how much water warm season turf actually needs during the summer time in the South when it's 90 to 100 degrees everyday....
Don't believe me? just go visit your local golf course or country club and compare how much water they use when they run the sprinklers each night, day, or both depending on the weather conditions and syringe the greens by hand with the hose...
compared to what you do water... that's ONE big reason why their Turf looks that way in addition to a few other reasons all maintenance related
You're right, water is key for lawns and vegetables. If a lawn is every stressed for water, then it must recover, if it can. Plants feed via water so no water, no nutrients. No water, no lawn. What happens when a lawn is stressed? Every pest in the world wants to eat it. What happens if a lawn is over stimulated by chemical fertilizers? Same thing. What happens when you put pesticides on your soil? You kill beneficial microbes and fungi. Cause and effect. It can be simple or complicated. Going a chemical route makes it complicated, difficult and expensive, in my opinion.
You have an absolutely amazing yard and house! I really love the content of your videos. You explain things extremely well!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. My yard started off as a weed filled disaster. If you haven't watched it, see what it looked like just a few years ago: czcams.com/video/c54WSOI-MMc/video.html
I’m on my 2nd yr of putting down Humichar. It is definitely making a difference. I have some pretty compacted spots in my lawn and it is already starting to soften them up. My soil is just crap in general, pretty much and when you dig a little you can see it is darkening up the soil. Also noticed I didn’t need to run the sprinklers as much to keep the grass green.
That's great to hear. I was surprised when I was taking my soil test to see my soil looking a little darker than usual. We have a huge amount of sandy in our soil due to the area so its always difficult to keep enough water in the soil. I am wondering if this might be starting to help a little. Good to hear you experience with this!
Try using a liquid Humic acid a few times throughout each season. Its great for softening the surface layer and penetrates deeper into the soil. It also chelates nutrients in the soil to make them easier to be taking up by your lawn. Also liquid or manual aeration will do wonders for softening and penetration of water and additives you put into your soil.
Just sent off a soil sample from My Soil Test. Have a bag of ANDERSONS BioChar going down today!!! Your videos are giving me the most amazing lawn. Thanks
Great video SC, the Doc turned me into HumiChar/Biochar. This is my second year applying it and the lawn is super healthy, recovered from winter fantastically. I also recommend this product, DG granules are infiltrating the soil quickly. Great video, keep up great work. Cheers.
I don't think I heard this mentioned in the review.. but farmers way back in the old days and when they were allowed, used to do a controlled, smothered and safe burn of their topmost layer to efficiently clear all the dead and dried up crop remains. My in-laws live on the next door neighbor's childhood house and property of 3 acre which was farm, and that's what was done back in the 40s or 50s. The neighbor says their grasses would always be green with real grass every season. And the property to this day is still green all on its own, though it has become about 20% crab. This bio char and their process is essentially a product that replicates that controlled burn.
Adding biochar to your soil has so many benefits. But it is not a one trick pony. It takes time and more than one application to reap the benefits. I’ve been putting it down for three or four years now, 2x each year. Anderson’s DG is nice that it breaks down so quickly. But again the process of it all takes time even years to fully notice the effects of it. The best part of biochar is you can put down as much as you want, whenever you want. There are Inexpensive alternatives to the Anderson’s products that will do the same. But to each their own.
Such as? I’m down to save a few bucks on Biochar
Just found out about Biochar a few days ago so this is a very timely video for me. Thanks!
You can cut the bag at the bottom then just lift the bag up. Faster, easier, and prevents the dust cloud
Hi SC. Great video. I have been using Humic DG since last fall. I drove down to AM Leonard and bought 10 bags on sale this spring and have been putting it down monthly to condition the soil. I am seeing great, and I mean GREAT results.
I have been thinking about the BioChar. I completely see the benefits of using it. I can justify the expense, as it is part of my strategy to back off on watering (practically pays for itself).
Is there a reason why you didn’t put down the BioChar with the 2000 SR? You have two great spreaders. I don’t know how you choose. Glad I only have the 2000 SR, so choosing is easy for me. Lol.
This is good info... I just picked up the biochar with humic acid. I'll then water it in with my liquid aeration mix. My soil still needs a lot of help.
If you have ever seen how beautiful things grow after a fire, it would be kind of like what this product is giving you! I think the Amazon pic is what that soil looks like continually, due to the vegetation, river water, and constant rains they get!
Nice work SC! Using that product is on my short list of things to apply ….. thanks again for another good video!!
Beautiful lawn and home. I use this stuff too. While that grass is amazing the yard would look amazing with a pool set up. 😊
Great information. I use humichar on my Bermuda two years running. I still get a few hot spots probably due to high sand soil. I think I’ll get Biochar for a few applications. Greatly enjoy all your videos. I’m so loving my fluid extractor for oil changes. Serviced my genrac this spring.
I like getting your kid involved. I'm working on that too.
Been using Andersons products for a couple of years now. Great stuff.
Your lawn is looking great sir for mid May. Mine is just coming around this year. Slow start due to inconsistent weather. Maybe I should get some :)
I don't want to overblow this stuff but it is the only thing I changed at the end of last year and I am surprised how quickly things have come to life here.
I'm going to have to try this tip. Also, I live in MA and your videos have helped me tremendously to get a better understanding what's wrong with my lawn and most effective action steps to improve it. (May need to bite bullet on Tenacity) Currently have a mess going on w/ roughly 65/35 mix (grass to weeds respectively), so I'm hoping to have a better looking lawn next Spring following your guidance. Thanks for the solid knowledge!
Just bought a bag to try. I’m hopeful but my soil here in Utah is an absolute mystery to me. Thanks for the tip nevertheless. I joked with my wife that I’d buy a property on them moon if it were in one of your videos and you recommended it. Haha. Cheers!
You've sold me. Just ordered two bags.
A wallet 4 my lawn? Lawn care has officially become more expensive than haircare! Oh wait! Wifey just bought a new weave. It's a horse race!
🤣🤣🤣Those weaves ain't cheap. Some females walking around with +$500 on their head.
Just set your winter brown on fire. That's what they used to do in the 1950's.
Lawncare is a multi billion dollar scam. What a racket.
More expensive? That’s unbeweavable.
I applied humic acid last year and noticed my lawn came back quicker this year with less weeds
Just ordered a couple bags, we'll let you know.
I appreciate your trust in my reviews. I think you will like it.
@@SilverCymbal You recommended the Toro Timemaster, I bought it and absolutely love it! It's perfect for my 3/4 acre which just too small to justify a riding mower.
@@saratogaprepper9821 That's great.The 30" Timemaster is a great mower. Cuts beautiful and really saves the time they say. Glad you are liking it!
Yes! I have something to watch.
I like Lesco Carbon Pro G
How often should you apply biochar and humic acid per lawn season? And should you apply both? At the same time or spaced apart?
I would also like to know your advice on this and whether both products are recommended, when to apply, and how often to apply.
_I took a shot for every time he said _*_Biochar_*_ and I am now in the hospital_
One thing is that from what ive read it helps againts the invasive Asian Jumping Worms
Biochar is charcoal with the volatile compounds burned out of it, so it pretty much carbon. Charcoal still has tars in it that vaporize and burn. They are not the same things, and you should not uss charcoal on your lawn. Innoculated biochar contains cultures of mychorizal bacteria that are symbiotic and beneficial to your plants. These bacteria help with nitrogen uptake among other things. The biochar is porous, so, as rhe video explained, can help retain moisture, and the pores also are the perfect habitat for the bacteria. The inoculants are particularly beneficial to trees and shrubs, and are used to create the bacterial colonies in sterile soils such as in new developments or if a certain type of tree has not been present in the area...the type of bacteria introduced. It is recommended to also apply after aerating the lawn in order to get it deeper in the root zone. For trees, it is often made into a slurry and injected around the roots.
Thank you for setting everyone straight, its not the same. I keep telling people its even safe to eat biochar. But youd be crazy to eat lump charcoal.
I disagree. Properly made biochar should contain no volatiles, ideally. The part that contains volatiles is not biochar, unless you can convince me otherwise. This is a huge problem with biochar - so much of it isn't actually biochar. Tars are volatiles. Everything that is volatile breaks out of solid form into tar gasses, then reduces to more simpler volatiles. Your first sentence I have no problem with but I believe you gave well intended, bad advice after that, about not using it.
@@nedg3740 Then lump charcoal isn't charcoal, only partially. Volatiles are intentionally left in cooking charcoal by design. The reason this is complicated is the same reason baking sourdough has been made complicated. It has to do with us, not charcoal or bread. When charcoal is as pure as you can get it, the only thing left volatile is carbon.
and carbon is volatile which is a big problem as well as the driver of modern civilization
Great informative vid......definitely going to purchase
Glad it was helpful!
Any particular time of the year this should / should not be applied - assume best in spring rather than in the hot summer? What about putting down before/ after a fertilizer application - does it matter either way?
Given its properties and description, it seems like this would be good for your entire yard. (Around plants, flowers and shrubs). What do you think?
Absolutely. This started being popular with home gardeners all over. Its great that this product is even organic and can be used anywhere that plants grow.
Bird just chilling there
Batman Returns warned me about this, "Rather than a power plant, it's more like a power siphon..."
Not familiar with Biochar but willing to give it a try. I did, after state university (PSU) soil analysis, apply lots of lime to yard this past year. Would you recommend Biochar after a such an application?. Your lawn looks great and your videos are very helpful.
My understanding is that you can put bio char down basically whenever you want. I don’t think it does much of anything in terms of changing the soil pH. You can put it down with new grass seed or with other fertilizer, or in combo with Humic acid.
Great video!
Biochar isn't at all difficult to produce and hardly requires tightly controlled conditions.
1)Pile up wood that's suitible to burn.
2)Burn it most of the way down.
3)Douse it with a sprayer until you stop hearing the hiss of steam and stop seeing white ash form.
4)Collect the light and brittle pieces of char, leave the partially charred bits to make the next fire easier to start.
5)Soak and rinse the char to get rid of excess alkaline ash components(non-chlorinated water is preferable).
6)Grind to desired size, sieve if you want to get picky about the size, or otherwise just use as it.
Drying before grinding, sieving, or use is optional and based on preference or application.
A bit tedious, a bit less efficient than industrial methods, but certainly not difficult, complicated, or easy to mess up.
2. Burn it all the way down, I say, and get it as hot as you can, then extinguish. Here's something I learned recently about crushing, after doing this for a long time: 1. Put your homemade biochar in water overnight. 2. throw out the floaters, gently. You want to keep the charcoal settled on the bottom as much as possible. 3. pour off most of the water, gently, slowly so as to not pour out your fine char. 4. Crush with a hefty piece of something, metal, 2x4 wood, whatever you have or can get ahold of. 5. You can, and this is a good idea, sieve out the smaller pieces with a homemade sieve or whatever you can buy, then crush the remainder, instead of crushing all of it. It depends upon your desired particle sizes but it will help a lot if you sieve out what is small enough, as you go. Then you're not trying to crush already crushed biochar.
Another grinding method I saw was an outdoor installed garbage disposal. That should work well but I haven't done it.
Keep it up.
They charge a fortune for biochar and you dont have to burn your own wood to make it. Buy a bag of pure hardwood charcoal, crush it and soak in water with some compost for a few days. Boom, biochar. Does not really work in a lawn spreader, but great for your flower and veggie beds.
Thank You for the another update. What’s the best time of the year to apply this products? What temperature do you recommend when apply ?
you just described exactly how to make charcoal.. burn at a high temp, and restrict oxygen..
Great review, as usual.
Gonna give this a try shortly.
Thank you I really appreciate it
How about using my fireplace ashes? Since that product broke down so easily with water the end result looked like when I put some of my ashes in water.
He said that the key was that the matter was burned under oxygen restriction. A regular fireplace won't have that.
You could try it, I’ve used my ashes from my fire pit for years in my garden. You can boil the ashes, and it becomes potash, which I’m guessing does the same as this. Good luck
Native Americans used to make their super soils, from using leaves, urine and ash/charred pieces of wood from massive bonfires, mixed up, it does amazing things....
Ash is not biochar, it's ash and also very good for raising PH if you need that.
Silver Cymbal, first, good job, far better than most on this subject. In response: 1. Biochar is charcoal is carbon. Confusion on this partly comes from the fact that a lot of charcoal isn't actually charcoal, it's coal or other things too. Biochar = carbon = charcoal. Also, however, not all biochar is very pure carbon and then I argue it is not biochar or charcoal, only partially so, less pure and therefore can be quite different. Quality matters. 2. Is there actually a 100% pure carbon biochar, pure charcoal? I don't think so but it can come very close, like greater than 99% pure carbon. 3. Does biochar disolve in water? Not in my experience and I have my 10,000 hours in. It will suspend in water. Even ash appears to mostly suspend in water. Eventually, everything settles, or appears to. 4. About the terra preta soils in the Amazon, the theory I like most is that charcoal was incorporated in their waste stream, including human waste. That theory explains a lot of things, such as certain nutrient concentrations in the soil. Remember, these were large settlements, recorded by the spanish quiet well. Of course, those populations mostly disappeared, and quickly. 5. Why did you soil green more quickly in spring? Here's a theory which is easy to support and, in my experience, impossible to disprove: The soil warmed more quickly due to increased microbial activity. So, what does that mean? Add more organic matter to feed the microbes and the grass, with help from microbes, will feed itself. You feed the microbes. The grass feeds the microbes. Microbial waste products feed the grass along with higher organisms. This about feeding microbes, is, of course, well known and not theory. It's also quite fun and interesting. Biochar and microbes are teammates.
Well done and thanks
very well explained. thanks for sharing
I just laid seed I live in Central California i believe its a transition zone. The home is new therfore there was no prior landscaping. I went with tall fescue and used compost to cover the seed to help it germinate. Its been a two weeks now and the grass has sprouted well. I wanted to add the Andersons Starter Fertilizer would it be ok to do that along with the Andersons Humic DG?
Do you do this in addition too normal fertilizer, and when is the best time to put it down
It can be added year round and at any interval, as it is a soil amendment and contains zero fertilizer.
Love your videos
Makes sense to me! Thanks!
Thanks for sharing - I will check it out! 👍 Does it matter which time of year biochar is applied? Thanks
It isn't tied directly to a season but I think that Spring or Fall would be best just to give it time to work into the soil.
How does it compare with humic acid granules?
Yes I agree another great video. If you don't mind me asking. What type of broadcast spreader do you use?
Cool info thanks! Have you used azomite or rock dust?
Afaik pretty much biochar is charcoal in very small size. You can grind charcoal or make biochar from very small starting material like sawdust or wheat/rice husks
Do you happen to know an easy way to get rid of mole crickets without breaking the bank? This is more of a problem in the South as far as I know.
To combat mole crickets, encourage mockingbirds and Bluebirds. They love mole crickets, open areas, people and waterbaths. Set water traps - water that mole crickets can fall into but can't crawl out of. Feed trapped Mole crickets to bluebirds, mockingbirds. The birds will be looking for you. Put up bluebird houses. Those two birds feed exactly like hawks, except on lawn pests. I kid you not and it is fun to watch.
we use biochar for our silage feed
I'd like to have manure from you
@@snookmeister55 sure we produce about 4 million ton of manure or muck for short, each year
@@abecoulter8550 manure is wet, cow manure particularly so. If you are charring manure, my hat is off to you and I'd like to see it someday.
@@abecoulter8550 I'll try to check you out but my guess is you are making biochar or thinking about it and probably you're capturing energy from manure. Lots of potential for big manure guys who can invest in their manure. Waste products become resources, some say.
@@snookmeister55 so what we do it get a JCB loader and scrape out feed lot pens then it get loaded into a hopper mixer where in a big silo there is bio char, so not only is it very rich in nitrates but th bio char absorbs alot of the nutrients, then mixed with grass hay and then loaded into an 18 ton agri-hire muck spreader, then out to the paddock and spread, about 16ton per hectare, going about 6kmph in the paddock
Do you have any tips to get rid of moles? I can't get rid of them in my lawn.
Get rid of their food source, likely grubs. Put down imidacloprid at high bag rate.
@@dougm5589 does that harm earth worms?
@@grapeape3633 it will put a dent on them likely. But they are mole food also, so pick your poison.
My cat kills them. Can't loan her out.
I’m a new subscriber . I need to improve my soil . I have a newer lawn . Do you think this is still the best option or should I use humichar ?
Thanks for the explanation how about humic what’s that good for
Another great video. Is biochar similar to milorganite?
No, Milorganite is a slow release fertilizer made from biosolids (cooked human waste basically). Biochar is a soil amendment, basically slow burned wood kind of like charcoal. It has no fertilizer, it's supposed to help your soil hold more nutrients.
@@benharrison5816 really helps hold the micronutrients that many home owners forget. Those micronutrients help feed the beneficial microbes that breakdown grass clippings and keep soil from getting compacted
is this better than humic acid? or whats the difference between both?
Both good stuff, but different. Humic acid helps the lawn better use nutrients, fertilizers. Biochar becomes a better way to reduce ompaction, add moisture and increase holding capacity in the lawn.
Best month to apply biochar? Thanks
Is HumiChar the same as Biochar? Is made by the same company. . .
I’m confused, if the biochar dissolves then that would defeat it purpose of being a porous sttucture
It doesn't, it suspends. Biochar won't go anywhere in soil, except perhaps very slowly moving down over years, especially if humous builds up.
Hey thanks for the video what’s difference from biochar and humichar ?
Biochar DG is all biochar. Humichar looks to be 1/2 biochar 1/2 humic acid which is good amzn.to/3htDS0s But you are still only getting 1/2 as much of each. Either way will work, I find it a little easier to just one the stand alone versions. This way I know just what I put down and exactly how much.
I have put down Humic DG in the past, would you recommend Biochar over that? I think most homeowners can’t afford 2 different soil amendments that cost about $70/bag. I may just split the difference and get LCNs product that has both biochar and humic, we’ll see.
Things can get expensive. Usually combo products are just giving you less of each one since Biochar is mechanical and chemical meaning using less gives less results. If you want to keep a lower budget you could even alternate and use one year or the other or buy both and apply 1.2 as much and make your own mix. The biochar part I like is that it remains in the soil, its one of the few things that doesn't get used up completely.
It’s god awfully expensive.
Does it get pulled up when I dethatch?
Hello does biochar affect the ph ?
I'm trying to lower my ph should I lower biochar now or wait?
Do you have any recommendations on starter fertilizer
I have a recommendation on fertilizer - don't use chemical fertilizers, use organics. Fertilizer is a regulatory term with a specific meaning, specifically having to do with analysis. Fertilizers can be either chemical or organic so try organic. Compost is great. Milorganite works, particularly for lawns but a healthy lawn and soil feeds itself if you give it sufficient water. That's my experience.
Wouldnt you want it to NOT dissolve fast, so it does the intended purposed of maintaining its porous structure and absorbing the nutrients and water that would be wasted for a slower release?
Trust me, Biochar does not dissolve, it suspends temporarily.
2/3 my back yard is swampy at the start of spring for about a month. Will this make it worse?
No, it isn't like those chemical water absorbers that bloat out. It might even help the issue by helping give it a place to go.
Biochar was used by Amazonians to build up soil. Also, it improves drainage, can be used to help drain your soil, if there is somewhere to drain to, a lower spot. No way can it make it worse but you need a lot. I suggest you start making it with waste wood, if you can get it.
Can I biochar and drop fertilizer over the biochar application?
In a lawn, yes, depending on many other things, such as you must water sufficiently and chop in organic matter, clippings, leaves as much as you can. Lawns are a money pit if you want a money pit but they needn't be. Plants engage in photosynthesis and send food down to the root zone, for microbes. That is part of the symbiosis between plants and microbes. Vegetables need more nutrients but they are easy to add and needn't be expensive.
BioChar is not supposed to dissolve. I'm wondering what happened there.
The particles in the bag disperse might be a better term, then the micro sized particles of char will work into the soil
Biochar doesn dissolve, it suspends temporarily
Does biochar track into the house on your shoes? Thanks.
If you get anything on your shoes, you can track it into your house, including biochar. Once it is added to the surface of your soil and is watered in, it becomes unlikely.
How often should you be applying biochar
It will accumulate. There are no rules but a lot to learn. Whatever you add, you're sequestering carbon so there's no downside. Negative results are not unknown with bad products so try to make a good product. The worse your soil is, the better results are, generally speaking.
This guy speaks in a sing song manner
Is it PH neutral?
Yes, I believe so, I don't see how it could affect PH significantly.
So it's lump charcoal?
I hope not. There are better methods for gardening. Quench biochar with water to steam activate.
Where do they sell BioChar?
Right on Amazon amzn.to/3ouDb8J
This will fix climate change if you look into it. It can fix fry soil over time like the desert soil
It is already part of a solution. You're right. Fix is a big, small word.
1:29 ***Trypophobia Alert***
It’s not a new lawn care product.
It will discompost
Biochar is stable and will not decompose, unless it is thermally decomposed (fire). Very small particles of biochar may be slowly consumed by microbes but probably not much during your lifetime.
hey I’m Scarlett who contact you by email regarding the partnership. would you please reply as soon as you can?
I can't see any benefits of it. Nothing.
Honestly it's greatest application is not for lawn, although it can help, particularly if your soil needs organic carbon. Most does. Also, did you notice the early greening? If you care about that, it can be attributed to the biochar. Biochar increased the microbial activity and that warmed the soil, causing early greening of the grass. This is repeatable if you want to try it. First, of course, you will need to notice when you lawn normally greens, or better yet, try half with biochar, half without. It might help to try it and you can make your own possibly.
Nice for the garden, but the carbon dioxide footprint seems bad to me.
However, it turns out that it is actually not bad at all, as you read from the response by Snookmeister55.👌
Carbon is a problem in oceans and in our atmosphere but not in the ground. This is a huge subject but most carbon on the surface is in a cycle, earth to sky to earth to sky. Carbon becomes a problem when we dig it up and burn it, not when we capture it and add it to soil. So, no, not bad.
@@snookmeister55 but will it not be released in the atmosphere when the grass is cut?
@@dayfree2485 No sir, only if you burn it. Over decades, centuries and millennia, some of it might return to the atmosphere if it is burned or consumed completely by microbes. It's an extremely slow process. If made properly, biochar should be stable in soil for thousands of years, just like in the Amazon. It's 2500 years old in some places in the amazon and very fertile due to absorbing nutrients from organic matter and rainfall. Charcoal filters work to filter water, right? Same thing in soil, charcoal absorbs. That's why if a person swallows poison, it would be a good idea to eat activated carbon. Carbon absorbs. Keep thinking about it.
@@snookmeister55 thanks for the explanation. Will update my original comment☺️