Do You Sterilize Your Compost?

A

Afka

Active Member
Excess carbon in a soil ecosystem will screw up the balance of nitrogen, and even wind up locking it out. Microorganisms will consume it all in order to decompose the carbon.
 
Jack Harer

Jack Harer

Well-Known Member
Afka said:
Setting shit on fire and then growing on it is one of the first methods of fertilization. It's not very efficient, and is very alkaline. Good source of micronutrients and K though.

I've heard of using charcoal bits in orchid potting mixes, and can understand their use as a soil ammendment, but I'm sure there's some disadvantages to loading up pure carbon into your soil
Click to expand...
Once again, please read up before you make statements. Bio Char is not a product of combustion, but pyrolization. Huge difference. Combustion releases huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Bio Char is slightly acidic, if not neutral. It builds soil structure, sequesters carbon in the soil for thousands of years, increases yields by increased bio-activity in soil, among the benefits too numerous to mention here. The ancient indians in the Amazon basin, over 5000 years ago, knew about this technology, and made tracts of soils that are still quite fertile today.
 
snew

snew

Well-Known Member
Jack this is very interesting:
Do you use lump charcoal?
How long of you been doing it?
What is the application rate?
Do you use it in other gardens, veg, flowers, lawn?
How is the soil, plant growth, harvest difference?

I miss having a worm bin. My biggest problem is summer heat. I've been looking for a large old cooler to use for summer storage. I keep them in my garage but got to hot in rubber bins.
I ended up with what I believe where Back Soldier Flies http://www.grist.org/article/black-fly-magic which compost stuff quickly but competed for the compost with the worms. They would reduce a big pile of food and turn it to a soggy mess. I took steps to reduce them but 2 summers in a row the swarmed my garage, grow room and got in my house. They did not make it to my compost pile. Anyway, I'm not sure how to end or work with the problem. But will get some worm soon to try again.
 
Endur0xX

Endur0xX

Well-Known Member
Jack Harer said:
We're on the same page, I don't use chicken poo 'cuz it's really hot, but I use the EWC, Rabbit Poo, compost, and eggshells in my soil mix. the rest like guanos and Kelp are supplements for teas. About the only thing I do that you don't is add Bio Char, which is a relatively new addition as of about 3 years ago. Google Terra Preta and Bio Char. The difference that stuff makes is friggin' amazing, notwithstanding any environmental benefits we gain from it's use. The story behind Terra Preta and it's discovery is really quite interesting. It's a 5000 + year old MAN MADE soil.

www.biochar-international.org
Click to expand...
I didnt not look into enough to have a true opinion ,... but are they destroying ecosystem to get that bio char? From what I have read, they go into land that we (human being) used to use and they just take all the fertile stuff out of it to sell it? I will eventually read more about because I wanna use it next year in my soil mix... but I would like to see what you think of that!

DIYguy said:
Hey malignant!

Thanks for the comments on the post. I personally wouldn't go as far as saying that I am brave or any thing. In regards to responsibility in maintaining the box, IT"S A MINIMAL EFFORT. I would hate for anyone to be discouraged doing this project because they thought it was to demanding or difficult because what you get in return from these little guys will blow your freaking mind.

The box it self cost me less than 15$ and a total of 15-20 minutes construction time.

The worm (red wigglers) I am picking up today will be the biggest expense of 25$. GRAND TOTAL OF AND FUTURE INVESTMENTS = 40$!!!!

Once they are set-up MAINTENANCE IS WEEKLY recquiring a 1/2-1 pound of food scraps. That's it.

I think we have a responsibility to minimize our land fill waste and use fertilizers that actually improves soil quality and does not poison the water table. If this seems like a lot of responsibility, I say BRING IT ON!

-DIYguy
Click to expand...
What kind of worms do you need for that bin, any kind? just out of curiosity, where can I find those locally at this time of the year? fishing store? or they are not the same? THANKS
 
malignant

malignant

Well-Known Member
I think you guys have me sold, I'm going to build a bin too, but Endur brings up a good point, do other types of worms produce more or richer castings? Or does it not make a difference?
 
Jack Harer

Jack Harer

Well-Known Member
Enduroxx, you didn't read far enough. BioChar is being produced commercially, and many gardeners have their own ovens (myself included). Very little Terra Preta is being dug up and sold, mostly by the locals in the amazon. Go here and get the scoop: www.biochar-international.org and here: http://biochar.pbworks.com/w/page/9748043/FrontPage Several poultry farms have these "pyrolization" ovens and harness the gasses produced by the process to heat their operations, and are making char out of the chicken manure! The process by which biochar is made is very carbon negative. There are so many facets to the field of studying the impact of biochar in agriculture, the impact it can have on our soils and environment that it is a no-brainer.
The benefits are way too many to completely go into here, suffice it to say that I noticed significantly larger yields, my soils keep getting better as I re-use them, increased nutrition in the soil itself, and the ability to stabilize pH without liming, among many others.

Side by side comparisons (sorry, I lost all my original pics to the man)
 

Attachments

snew

snew

Well-Known Member
Jack Harer said:
Enduroxx, you didn't read far enough. BioChar is being produced commercially, and many gardeners have their own ovens (myself included). Very little Terra Preta is being dug up and sold, mostly by the locals in the amazon. Go here and get the scoop: www.biochar-international.org and here: http://biochar.pbworks.com/w/page/9748043/FrontPage Several poultry farms have these "pyrolization" ovens and harness the gasses produced by the process to heat their operations, and are making char out of the chicken manure! The process by which biochar is made is very carbon negative. There are so many facets to the field of studying the impact of biochar in agriculture, the impact it can have on our soils and environment that it is a no-brainer.
The benefits are way too many to completely go into here, suffice it to say that I noticed significantly larger yields, my soils keep getting better as I re-use them, increased nutrition in the soil itself, and the ability to stabilize pH without liming, among many others.

Side by side comparisons (sorry, I lost all my original pics to the man)
Click to expand...
Let me ask these again Jack. Some you answered some you didn't.

Jack this is very interesting:
Do you use lump charcoal?
How long of you been doing it?
What is the application rate?
Do you use it in other gardens, veg, flowers, lawn?
How is the soil, plant growth, harvest difference?

I realize its alot of info but I find the topic interesting. Thanks,

Snew
 
Jack Harer

Jack Harer

Well-Known Member
snew, read the links!!!! Yes, when I'm lazy and don't feel like fucking with it, I use the lump charcoal. I've been using it going on 4 years now, and I recycle the soil because it's nutrient retention gets better with age, and the microbiology gets better also, no need to inoculate the soil with additional micro-beasties. I use about 25% to 30% Char/soil mixture (after I've added the EWC). Yes, I use it in my peppers garden and veggies. I keep getting bigger and better yields. When I started out, the soil structure in my garden sucked, being almost all clay. Now, I have extremely good structure, and I have to fertilize a lot less every year, Eventually, I hope to have self sustaining soil. Again, read the links I posted as a starting point. The reading and learning about it keeps going and going................The more I read and use it, the more convinced I am that it can be the salvation of our agricultural system, and reduce global warming enormously. Commercial hemp, grown in bio char would be an incredible boon to the planet. The by-products and silage can be used to produce more syn-fuel and char.

I could do an entire dissertation here, but it would be easier and better understood if you read it for yourself from many different sources than just my point of view.
 
snew

snew

Well-Known Member
Jack Harer said:
snew, read the links!!!! Yes, when I'm lazy and don't feel like fucking with it, I use the lump charcoal. I've been using it going on 4 years now, and I recycle the soil because it's nutrient retention gets better with age, and the microbiology gets better also, no need to inoculate the soil with additional micro-beasties. I use about 25% to 30% Char/soil mixture (after I've added the EWC). Yes, I use it in my peppers garden and veggies. I keep getting bigger and better yields. When I started out, the soil structure in my garden sucked, being almost all clay. Now, I have extremely good structure, and I have to fertilize a lot less every year, Eventually, I hope to have self sustaining soil. Again, read the links I posted as a starting point. The reading and learning about it keeps going and going................The more I read and use it, the more convinced I am that it can be the salvation of our agricultural system, and reduce global warming enormously. Commercial hemp, grown in bio char would be an incredible boon to the planet. The by-products and silage can be used to produce more syn-fuel and char.

I could do an entire dissertation here, but it would be easier and better understood if you read it for yourself from many different sources than just my point of view.
Click to expand...
Thanks Jack. My inquiry was not what the literature says but what specifically you do and what where the results. I too am in a clay region and I am working to change the beast. But I read further to find out.
 
Jack Harer

Jack Harer

Well-Known Member
I got ya! It's worked wonders in the garden soil here. By all means, try it. The IBI has a wealth of info on other peoples results as well, and almost every University with an agricultural program in the country is studying it's use in one form or another with very positive results.
 
DIYguy

DIYguy

Member
malignant said:
I think you guys have me sold, I'm going to build a bin too, but Endur brings up a good point, do other types of worms produce more or richer castings? Or does it not make a difference?
Click to expand...
Great question guys!

Okay here is the deal, I used RED WIGGLERS in my bin and let me tell you why...

Red wigglers are considered "composting worms" because they are grazers that eat heavily and stay near the surface of the soil where let's say the earthworms in your back yard like to dwell deep below the soil and do not "graze" on food scraps at the rate the RW's do.

If you want to learn more there are tons of information on these sites! Take a look...

http://www.redwormcomposting.com/

http://www.thewormdude.com/

These guys that run the site go far more into detail and have been in the worm game for years so check them out.

-DIYguy
 
mellokitty

mellokitty

Moderatrix of Journals
does anybody know how to link a google.doc in here? i have a great one out by the EU all about biochar, but i don't know how to post it......
 
Rrog

Rrog

Well-Known Member
Wow. Not sure. But I'd sure be interested to read it if you get this figured out.
 
DrFever

DrFever

New Member
mellow i think you need to put it in paint on your computor then click url and post it here not sure
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top