Biochar — What Difference Does It Make?

I tried putting biochar on my garden once. I spent a day reading up on the internet, got excited and started fiddling around, going to the shops, collecting tins of various sizes.

By afternoon, I had made my own small batch. Biochar is essentially charcoal produced for soil use — it is porous, stable, and provides habitat for soil microbes while helping to hold water and nutrients.

The difference it makes depends on your soil and how you charge the char before applying it. On sandy, hungry soils it can be transformative. The key is to inoculate it with compost or worm castings first, so you are adding life, not just carbon.