Biochar is a low-tech method of carbon sequestration, and can increase the microbial activity and improve the moisture retention of soils. Adding biochar to your soil is an excellent way to improve its fertility and ability to retain moisture. Charcoal is an extremely stable form of carbon and once added to soil will remain there for centuries, unlike other forms of organic matter which in time will decompose and return to the air as CO2.
Biochar can be made from any woody material, including yard waste such as fallen branches and tree prunings. Burning this material in a biochar kiln produces much less smoke than a typical burn-pile, and is a far safer method of burning because the fire is contained in a metal vessel and is off the ground.
Brian Smallshaw is manufacturing kilns for this purpose on Saltspring and Vancouver Island. They are portable; two people can move them to where they are needed for a burn, and they are easily transported in a pickup truck box. They are simple and safe to operate; material burned in a biochar kiln produces far less smoke than a normal bonfire, with the consequent lower impact on air quality. For these reasons, biochar kilns make excellent backyard firepits. If you regularly burn material during yard cleanup, biochar kilns allow you to turn material that is a fire hazard into a useful material for your garden or orchard.
Contact Brian Smallshaw at b@pixelmap.ca for more information or to order a kiln. Two designs are now available; flat-sided and conical. Cost is $2200 for a flat-sided kiln and $1700 for a conical kiln. Delivery time is approximately two weeks.
