〒 2026, BioChar - Terra Preta, The Tikun Project

BioChar - Terra Preta

Part 1 - BioChar Genesis ↟↟

This is actually important because it tells you how the charcoal became "inoculated" and so potent.

Terra Preta is Portuguese for "black earth" is a highly fertile, man-made soil found in the Amazon Basin.

I have heard people say that the Amazonians made this on purpose (without any evidence I may add) but it is more likely - for any of you who still use or remember what we called the "Outhouse" Click to see Outhouse image (toilets outside the main house which you had to walk to on a dark creepy night) - that these were the results of communal toilets into which they threw their fire remains as well.

The size of an average Amazonian tribe or village historically ranged from 50 to 400 individuals. +

Anthropological studies, such as those focusing on one tribe called the Yanomami people, found this size was often stabilized by resource management (food availability) and territorial conflicts.

Since most (if not all) of these tribes were semi-nomadic (they did not go "walk-about" every week or month like "Some Australian Aboriginals" who lived in semi-arid lands, they would have required very large communal toilet facilities which would have constantly needed to be increased in size.

For those of you who have lived with the "outhouse" will know, the smell alone is prohibitive and so putting wood ash with charcoal on top daily would have served to help absorb the smell and reduce the water content which would have attracted less (biblical level) flies

It is quite uncomfortable being perennially "buzzed" while you are sitting there meditating on the profundity of the universe.

There was (is) a secondary benefit to throwing fire ash onto these communal toilets and that is the trace minerals from the burnt wood, would have enriched the BioChar enormously.

Part 2 - Making BioChar ↟↟

BioChar MUST be inoculated and this can only be done slowly and with both bacteria and minerals mixed into the charcoal.

This is one of the best methods for doing this.

You will need the following:

LOTS of Charcoal ground up into powder.
Cow Manure (organic).
A large Open Top and sealable "drum" container 220 liters (55 gallon drum) or better.
Humic acid.
Nitrogen dense plants.
Mineral dense plants as well like comfrey, kale, dandelion (every part including the roots), seaweed, kelp, clover (whole plant including roots) etc.
Clean filtered water.
Access to sunlight - or heat over 25C (77F).
2 - 3 Kgs (4 - 7 pounds) of potatoes.
Mycorrhizal fungi (Animation)
BLACKSTRAP Molasses or Brown sugar
2 Kilos (4 pounds) of white rice.
Blender.

The Process ↟↟

Put your drum somewhere that it has direct access to the sun for at least 6 hours a day.

In ideal conditions with the right food and warmth, bacteria will replicate every 20 - 30 minutes.

You must have Organic cow manure for this process to work properly (fresh or dry so long as it is chemical free).

If the cow manure is dry, soak in a bucket or 2 of clean water until it rehydrates and becomes soft.

Half fill your 220 liter (55 gallon) drum with water and then add the cow manure and mix in.

BLACKSTRAP Molasses ↟↟

You will need about 100 mls (3.5 US fluid ozs) and mix this with 1/2 a bucket of water as well and then pour into your drum and mix in.

Humic Acid ↟↟

Add one tablespoon of Humic Acid into your 220 liter drum and stir.

Humic acid will speed up the breakdown process of the plants (carbon matter).

Potatoes and Rice ↟↟

Boil your rice with extra water until soft and soggy.

DO NOT COOK your potatoes...

Brush your potatoes to remove excess dirt so that you do not damage your blender.

Half fill your blender with potatoes and then add about 50% by volume of clean water and blend.

Pour into a large bucket and continue until you have done all of the potatoes.

Next, cook and blend up your rice so that it is completely mushy.

WAIT for it to cool down before putting in the blender or the blender may "heat explode" in your face.

Add to your bucket of potatoes and mix.

Bacteria LOVE starch.

You can buy or "Make Your Own Starch".

Next pour this into your Drum and stir in.

Solids ↟↟

I dehydrate my plants like Comfrey, alfalfa etc so that they can be blended and then I get a much greater "surface area" and faster results.

This is easily done by bundling them together with string (I use 130lb / 60Kg braided fishing line) and hang in the sun for at least 2 weeks which is usually enough time to dry them out or longer is also fine.

Braided line is a bit fiddley but it does half-hitches better then nylon.

TIP: Use the hanging line to do one or 2 half hitches around your herbs or plants, pull fairly tight and then move down to the next bunch which can be 1 or 2 inches (5-10 cms) away from the above bunch (my preferred method).

If you are doing leaves like Comfrey or Mullein, these have lots of fine hairs and they tend to gather lots of car soot so I gently wash mine in a VERY dilute soapy water solution and then rinse 2 or 3 tiles to ensure ALL of the soap is washed away.

When I bundle my Mullein, Comfrey and other broad leaves, I take a few seconds per bundle to make sure that the leaves are not "spooning" so that they dry faster and this also helps control the fungal growth some areas seem to be inundated with.

I add several buckets of this powdered plant material into the drum and stir in.

Then I add several buckets (one at a time) of the powdered charcoal and stir in.

By this stage, you will need muscles.

I keep adding powdered charcoal until there is about 6' - 8" (15 - 20cms" from the top of the drum and the mixture is still fairly easy to stir. (for a strong male)

Important ↟↟

It is critically important NOT to let this dry out or it will be very difficult to process later.

ADD more water so that there is a gap from the top of just 3 inches or 7 cms.

Put the lid on and make sure that it is firm but Not Sealed or else the bacteria will potential blow this off with their gas (farts).

The first week should be OK as far as off-gassing but you should check once a week anyway to ensure that the water level is NO lower than 6" (15 cms). If it is, then please top it up.

You need this with sunlight exposure so that the drum can heat up to 25C + degrees (77F+) as this expedites the bacterial replication.

Application ↟↟

BioChar should be added below the surface so dig a trench and then apply this either in a line or at specific intervals where the plant will be planted.

This does not need to be applied densely but also not too sparingly either.

It is at the stage before applying into the soil that you add the Mycorrhizal Fungi. (Animation) Mycorrhizal Fungi Animation

Mycorrhizal Fungi ↟↟

Mycorrhizal Fungi is an underground "hyphae" system and so it is wasted on the surface. It MUST be under the soil and near the roots system to be of any use at all.

See the "Mycorrhizal Fungi chart" because not all Mycorrhizal Fungi are the same.

Mycorrhizal Fungi works symbiotically with living plant roots so there is no need to add Mycorrhizal Fungi before you are ready to put this into the soil.

When this has turned into BioChar, add 1 heaped Tablespoon of Mycorrhizal Fungi to every 3 gallons +- (12 liters +-) of water.

Add this to your BioChar before you put in the soil.

I have a second "30 liter Mixing Drum" and I add 4 shovels full of BioChar and fill up the rest with water and then add the Mycorrhizal Fungi and mix.

NOTE that this should be placed UNDER the soil and not on top so that the Mycorrhizal Fungi (Animation) Mycorrhizal Fungi Animation has access to the roots system of the plants where it will do THE most good.

WARNING + ↟↟

If you just add the charcoal (as I have seen people do on YouTube), then the charcoal WILL suck the minerals and bacteria OUT of the soil and you will end up with poor looking stunted plants.

THIS is why it is so important to inoculate the BioChar before putting it into the soil.

Make Your Own Mycorrhizal Fungi ↟↟

Mycorrhizal Fungi (Animation) Mycorrhizal Fungi Animation love potato starch and rice starch so adding potatoes and rice to your mixture serves a double purpose of feeding bacteria and the Mycorrhizal Fungi.

Other sources high in Starch Starch .