Charcoal has long been known as an absorbent that removes odors and toxins. It provides many benefits when it is used as a soil modifier, helping retain water and nutrients in the soil. Biochar is specialty charcoal made from woody material, used as a modification to enhance the quality of the soil.
Biochar has considerably large and absorptive surface areas, yielding ground that can maintain its water and nutrients . Sandy soils retain more water, and exfoliates clay soils for root growth. Fertilizer applications are more accurately utilized when mixed with biochar, as the nutrients are retained for tree roots to use rather than getting washed away by rainfall. It also acts as a repository, holding the material until the plant roots require it.
Urban soils are typically not the best for healthy tree growth. Most suffer from low organic matter. Adding biochar makes the soil favorable for tree roots and other organisms that enhance the overall health of the tree. Biochar can also help the battle against climate change by removing carbon from the atmospheric cycle, thus allowing trees to flourish in their environment.
Read more about Biochar and its benefits here, or contact us today to see how we recommend its use for your trees.