tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599721217641463440.post-47910056568685758522007-03-17T13:09:00.000-07:002007-03-22T20:13:15.326-07:00<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7MKuMekbkA4/RfxLtewyU9I/AAAAAAAAAAU/fMW2c-2fkhE/s1600-h/P1010010.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7MKuMekbkA4/RfxLtewyU9I/AAAAAAAAAAU/fMW2c-2fkhE/s320/P1010010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5042988927471997906" /></a><br />This load of charcoal is the result of the winter's wood burning stove. I saved the ashes and the charcoal that save within them. I then screened the ashes out and kept the charcoal. I'm going to add this to the garden as an experiment. <br /><br />It's a long story but the short version is that the Indians of the Amazon Basin added charcoal to their soil as a way to make it more fertile. The soils they modified over 500 years ago are still 800% more productive than the unmodified soils. The black soils are called Terra Preta de Indio in Brazil. They are mentioned (I'm told) in the book 1491 and in a BBC documentary titled The Secrets of El Dorado. There's evidence that the rich soils made possible a population that was huge, much larger than lives in the Amazon today. <br /><br />I corresponded with a scientist at Cornell University and he said that there's not much research been done on how or if this works in the temperate climate zone. If it works well and improves soil fertility, it has a HUGE POSSIBILITY as a part of reducing global warming. Putting carbon in the soil lasts a long time (500+ years) and COULD permamently? sequester the carbon as well as improving the growth and therefore carbon dioxide uptake of green plants. I was unable to powder the charcoal and added it as small chunks. I know the freezing and thawing of the winter breaks down the particle size but i don't know if my larger pieces will work. I'll try some in pots later this summer.Stan Slaughterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299258869439632712noreply@blogger.com