FAQ About Biochar

Biochar is a charcoal-like material made from sustainably produced biomass from agricultural and forestry residues (e.g. corn stalks, hulls, wood chips, etc.). It is produced at high temperatures, ranging from 350°C to 800°C with little to no oxygen. This process is called pyrolysis or carbonization. When biomass undergoes pyrolysis, the carbon is rearranged in a stable form with unique properties and applications, and soil enhancement being one of them. Biochar improves soils by increasing nutrient and water retention and improves your crop yield when properly used.

Higher pyrolysis temperatures and other modifications, can produce carbon-based materials that can be used for filtering contaminants in water, air and gases in household or industrial applications. 

No, biochar is not a fertilizer. Biochar can be used in its raw state or it can be mixed with nutrients (organic sources or chemical fertilizers), microbes, or other additives. Biochar will allow us to use less fertilizer as it will retain some of those nutrients typically lost while using chemical fertilizers.

Remember the plants don’t “eat” carbon, the soil provides nutrients (Macro and micro nutrients) and those are held onto the biochar and soil. And the biochar makes the soil healthier for plants

The composition of biochar varies widely with the feedstock and operating conditions. Typically biochar contains 60-90% carbon, and small amounts of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, minerals and others.