Application and Use Guide
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Garden
In the garden biochar works to benefit soil fertility, moisture retention, and good tilth. It works especially well when combined with compost and no-till or low-till practices.
APPLICATION:
Apply at a rate of 1 cubic foot per 25-50 square feet of garden space. Mix thoroughly into the top 4-6 inches of soil. Biochar can be added as a fine layer in layering or no-till systems and covered with a layer of compost or mulch. Water well to keep soil moist.
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Compost
When incorporated at the beginning stages of building a compost pile, biochar can do it's best work. Here it becomes inoculated with microbes so it can get to work immediately when applied to your soil. It also captures volatile nutrients that might otherwise be lost in the composting process.
APPLICATION:
Mix biochar into the compost pile (preferably at the beginning, though finished compost works well too) at a rate by volume of up to 25% of the compost. Water well to keep compost sufficiently moist.
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Lawn
Biochar can help make your lawn greener, and stay green longer. All while saving water and the added expense of synthetic fertilizer.
APPLICATION:
In new lawns or full renovations apply at a rate of 1 cubic foot per 50-100 square feet and mix into the top 2-4 inches of soil. Cover the newly seeded lawn with straw and keep moist until well established.
In existing lawns it is best to use a spike-toothed aerator before and or after application. Mow, aerate, broadcast biochar, then gently water and keep well-watered at regular intervals. Do NOT mow in dry conditions immediately after application. Mow after rain/watering when grass has just dried, and the soil is still moist.
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Food Plot
When added to your food plot biochar promotes denser, more lush growth, providing even more food for deer, turkey, and other wildlife. It does this by making more nutrients available to plants which increases their nutrient density and therefore palatability. Healthier, tastier forage means more and faster growing wildlife!
APPLICATION:
For food plots, biochar is best applied just before an imminent and gentle rain.
Broadcast up to 1 cubic foot per 25-50 square feet of food plot area and incorporate into the soil.
For no-till plots apply just before or after using a roller crimper or after mowing and aerating the soil with a spike-toothed aerator.
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Barn/Stall
Used in the bedding of your barns and stalls, biochar can reduce smells, absorb moisture, and help provide a cleaner, safer environment for your animals. It captures volatile ammonia that would otherwise evaporate, making it available for plant growth when it is later applied to the soil. This is one of the best uses of biochar as it not only captures nutrients that would be lost in the barnyard, but it also has time to become inoculated with beneficial microbes before reaching the soil.
APPLICATION:
Apply liberally as needed when freshening bedding before adding new bedding material.
For new installations of deep bedding, a heavier application up to 25% by volume can be layered into the bottom several inches of bedding. (sawdust, chopped straw, mulch, etc.) NOTE: It may be necessary to lightly moisten bedding before introducing livestock if bedding is not already sufficiently moist.
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Golf Course
Adding biochar to your golf course can make a significant impact to your bottom line. It does this by reducing water and fertilizer needs, all while maintaining a lush, vibrant stand of grass.
APPLICATION:
If renovating the course using tillage, apply at a rate of 1 cubic foot per 50-100 square feet and mix into the top 2-4 inches of soil. Cover the newly seeded lawn with straw and keep moist until well established.
In existing greens it is best to use a spike-toothed aerator before and or after application. Mow, aerate, broadcast biochar, then gently water and keep well-watered at regular intervals. Do NOT mow in dry conditions immediately after application. Mow after rain/watering when grass has just dried, and the soil is still moist.
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Mineral/Feed Additive
Many people don't know that biochar has excellent benefits to livestock health. It increases feed efficiency and gut health resulting in added gains of both meat and milk. It can also help to reduce parasites and toxins in the digestive tract. Once excreted it can be incorporated into the soil by insects such as dung beetles where it increases soil health in the field.
APPLICATION:
Biochar can be offered free choice as part of a free choice mineral program or mixed into feed at a rate of up to 1% by volume.
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Pasture
Applied directly to your pastures, biochar can increase the health and density of your forages. By retaining moisture it keeps your forage growing longer during dry spells, resulting in more tonnage per acre. Improved soil and forage health ultimately results in greater livestock performance and therefore an increase to your bottom line.
APPLICATION:
For best results broadcast biochar onto pasture when there is at least 6 inches of standing, growing forage and before an imminent but light rain.
