The purpose of charging is to fill the nutrient storage capacity of the biochar. This way it will be able to release nutrients once it is in the soil. If you don’t charge it, the biochar will first take up nutrients from your soil and temporarily depleat it.

Charging Biochar – Compost

Use finished compost.

1. Make your biochar wet, liquids help the nutrients move. Pour water over the biochar pile until it starts leaking out.

2. Mix the compost and the biochar well. The ratio of compost to biochar should be around 1:1. The mix should turn out moist, you can add more water if it is dry.

3. Let the mix sit for 14 days. The nutrients from the compost will be stored in the pores of the biochar.

Apply the biochar to the soil (this is discribed in other posts).

You can always mix your nutrients sources: grass cuttings with compost, manure with urine, compost with manure…