Re: Terra preta, charcoal source

[Guest guest]

There are many good websites to visit on terra preta. Start by reading

Wikipedia. Back when I started, terra preta was a new discovery and there

were no instructions. I built the soil the old fashioned way. Indians

added burned wood charcoal, broken pottery and leftovers from what they

hunted, grew, and ate.

I'm expanding my garden this spring. I have been catching bullheads (until

fishing opener allows more variety) freezing them, then planting them whole

with burned wood charcoal in the area I'm expanding. The soil is pretty

compacted because I used to have my Saint Bernard kennels over the new

garden area. The planted fish, charcoal, compost & garden plants should

attract mycorrhizal fungi and other organisms. The soil will " come alive "

by next summer.

I also built 4 compost piles last year with charcoal at the bottom. I

spread that on top of the soil this spring. Fish have mercury, so I'm trying

to do more than just fish. My " lasagna " style mulch is oat straw and maple

leaves. I'll continue to bury fish guts and charcoal this summer, will get

some wild game scraps this fall. I'll be able to grow a garden, but won't

have high brix until next year.

Later this week I'll add the charcoal from the state park fire pits on top

of the soil. Watering your garden and rainfall break up any chunks over

time. Plus, charcoal has the ability to migrate. I don't worry about big

chunks, let nature do the work.

A couple years ago I decided to try mini terra preta in flower pots. I

bought potting soil, let the charcoal melt in water, added some of Will's

animal supplements, mixed, added plants. It didn't work any better than

ordinary potting soil. I think the beneficial organisms played a bigger part

than I realized before. This spring I also made my husband a raised bed

terra preta garden, but I added soil from my old terra preta garden so it

has worms, fungi, bacteria, etc. I suspect that will do better.

Hope this helps. Just keeping adding charcoal and feeding it. Soil gets

better year after year, you should have high brix veggies year two. Indian

terra preta soil got to be 6 feet deep!

Kathy