Horticultural charcoal is charcoal that has been crushed into smaller particle sizes, it may contain more volatiles, depending on the processing conditions. Biochar Description For the purpose of this document, the term biochar(s) means charcoal materials intended to be used for agronomic purposes that are produced in such a way as to sequester carbon. Biochar will impact your garden / soil in amazing ways. Biochar is a stable carbon-rich product of oxygen-limited combustion (pyrolysis) of carbonaceous biomass, such as crop residues, cull If the question is biochar versus smoldering piles of dead leaves throughout the developing world, I’d take biochar (or perhaps rocket stoves). The metaphor you always hear with biochar is that it creates a reef for microbes to colonize. Biochar vs Charcoal. How we make charcoal for grilling and filtering water, but more importantly... BIOCHAR! Biochar can also be charged with other materials such as liquid fertilizer. Therefore there is absolutely no need to buy into the hype of biochar. Hence, it is produced specifically for that purpose. Biochar shares comparable properties with charcoal. Biochar Vs. Charcoal. Just add ordinary lump wood charcoal to your soil and compost and the result should be (almost) the same, if not exactly the same. Basically, the key is the end use of the material. How does this differ from the new biochar? We have all seen charcoal and maybe even used it in a barbecue (real charcoal, not the briquettes). Horticultural charcoal vs biochar Horticultural charcoal and biochar are essentially the same thing with a different name. Biochar is a form of carbon, slide from Kurt Spokas, The Science Behind the Hype. However, its distinct characteristics are better harnessed when used as a soil modification agent. Biochar is light, has lots of holes, is beneficial for the soil, etc. The only difference is that one gets quite a bit of marketing thrown at it and the other, the ordinary charcoal namely, does not. So a 2 inch chunk or charcoal has a lot of surface area, but take that same chunk and break it down to pea-sized pieces, and you'll have exponentially (hundreds of times) more surface area. I've seen text and videos where the authors or speakers seem to use the two words interchangeably, jumping back and forth in the same discussion. Charcoal is more solid, heavier, still contains resins and stuff, etc. Using Biochar vs cost: Biochar – that black charcoal like substance discussed so often in recent days for its miraculous effects on soil and compost - is good for more than just your garden. The best place to put biochar The best location for biochar depends on your application. 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