Bagging up the char

Hello, I recently started a small company called Sure Soil here in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The product is castings and char and some other good stuff. When I bagged the product up, some of the bags puffed up. I assume this was due to off gassing of (anaerobic?) bacteria and/or other microbes. Has anyone had any experience with this? Do you think using coffee bags with an outgassing valve would help?

I'm certainly no expert, but I'd think that yes, you'd want some way for air to get out of the bag, but that you'd also want a way for air to get INTO the bag so the microbes inside don't die.

Great question and topic.  I wouldn't think that the gassing is probably anaerobic, but obviously, you are going to be able to tell more than I can.  Biochar is porous by nature, thereby letting lots of air in. Its porosity is one of its greatest attributes. It allows drainage to improve greatly in areas with heavy clay soil like mine.  It also allows the biochar to absorb 6 times its volume of water through the tiny pores.  The tiny air pockets make sure that the roots of plants can perform their crucial oxygen exchange that they need to do.

I do think you're smart to put castings, nutrition, etc. with the char. Your customers' results will be better in the long run, and they will recommend your product to others.   However, I think you're right. An air valve would be a good idea.  Thoroughly mixing the nutrition with the char would make sure that there are little pores of air throughout, but I'm sure you've already thought of that.   Sounds like a great business, and I wish you much success.

John S
PDX OR