Black Swallow Biochar

BIOCHAR CHARGED

Biochar is formed at different temperatures and in a different manner than regular charcoal. When formed at temperatures upwards of 600 C, the maximum amount of pores are maintained in the structure of the biochar. It is these pores that tremendously increase the surface area of the biochar, and increase the amount of water that the biochar can absorb and hold onto.

This in turn significantly increases the number of micro organisms that can then populate these moisture laden stable carbon environments. Biochar becomes an excellent, stable landscape in which the soil biology can thrive.

Why Biochar?

• Increased the amount of water that can be absorbed
• Increases the number of microorganisms that can populate stable carbon environments
• An excellent, stable landscape for soil biology to thrive
• High water and nutrient capacity

The raw materials that go into the biochar that they purchase are from a dedicated biochar production facility that uses clean hardwoods from a large forestry operation in Quebec. The particle size for this biochar are smaller, as this greatly increases the surface area per cubic foot of material, creating significantly better results than larger pieces would.

Due to its enormous surface area, biochar has a very high storage capacity for water and nutrients, and it can also bind to (adsorb) contaminants of all sorts.

They make their charged biochar in small, craft batches. This is done by creating a slurry of proprietary micribial inoculants and nutrients that are mixed by hand into the raw biochar. This is left in a vat for a few weeks, which sees the entire mass of material fuse together due to the growth of mycellium. It is then broken apart and bagged for immediate use in your soils.

BIOCHAR UNCHARGED

This is the raw biochar - a shiny, smaller particle, charcoal-like product that has not been introduced to any processes necessary to build the nutrient and microbial benefits that are found in the charged product. You can think of this as the 'structure' that houses the microbes.

APPLICATION

This product is ready to be added to your soil. Typically Biochar is added at 5-10% based on volume. Excessive use can interfere with the nitrogen uptake of your plants.