I've been told that it is a good idea to add a little charcoal into my soil mix. I've checked Lowe's and Home Depot, but they don't carry any. What is the best site to get some?
Boyd
I found horticultural charcoal in the garden center of my local big box store (don't remember which one). You might also try anyplace that stocks supplies for aquariums.
Al,Lots of good myth busting going on here.
I use charcoal for one purpose. Bacteria. With my high humus based addtitions I depend heavily on a good bacteria base to metabolize my humates. The addition of charcoal benifits this by allowing the growing apparatice for this bacteria. Coconut shell carbon is the best, and has the most surface area per cubic inch of material of anything on earth.
http://www.paghat.com/charcoal.html
Al,
I'm finding it difficult to follow you here. You state you use it because of your humus use, yet you provided a link that states charcoal as very little if any value as a soil component. Can you elaborate. I know Walter often uses chunks as a filler on some of his deeper pots for weight reduction more than anything else. I have used it for propping trees in pots but not as an additive perse.
Lots of good myth busting going on here.
I use charcoal for one purpose. Bacteria. With my high humus based addtitions I depend heavily on a good bacteria base to metabolize my humates. The addition of charcoal benifits this by allowing the growing apparatice for this bacteria. Coconut shell carbon is the best, and has the most surface area per cubic inch of material of anything on earth.
http://www.paghat.com/charcoal.html
Lots of good myth busting going on here.
I use charcoal for one purpose. Bacteria. With my high humus based addtitions I depend heavily on a good bacteria base to metabolize my humates. The addition of charcoal benifits this by allowing the growing apparatice for this bacteria. Coconut shell carbon is the best, and has the most surface area per cubic inch of material of anything on earth.
http://www.paghat.com/charcoal.html