Storage apples last longer with biochar?

My wife is making desserts again.  I brought in more apples from the unheated tool shed again last week.  My wife mentioned that the apples are in better shape for this time of year than they usually are.  She was asking me why they are lasting longer. My first reaction was to think that biochar had made the difference.  I know I've talked to professors and old-timers and many of them agree that when calcium is available to the apple tree, the apples will last longer and be in better shape.  Our soil, like many in the PNWet, was extremely low in calcium.  I added some calcium many years ago after the soil test.  Since then, for 9 years? I have put biochar in to my soil.  I have personally noticed a greatly improved flavor of the apples.  Also, the apple tastes more distinctly like that variety. Winesap tastes like winesap, Jonagold tastes like Jonagold.  

When I make biochar, I add ag lime to the mix to charge it.  I also add rotten fruit, seaweed, compost, worm compost, rotten wood, whole wheat flour, and urine.  It could be that the ag lime makes the calcium present, and the biochar supports the microbiology that will sustain a vibrant soil food web that could increase the ability of the apples to store longer.  I think it's plausible. It's certainly not conclusive empirical proof.  It could be a useful anecdote.  What do you think?

John S
PDX OR

John Suavecito wrote:...  It could be that the ag lime makes the calcium present, and the biochar supports the microbiology that will sustain a vibrant soil food web that could increase the ability of the apples to store longer.  I think it's plausible. It's certainly not conclusive empirical proof.

Hubby is always reminding me that correlation doesn't imply causation, but if we don't experiment and observe, we will never learn and discover neat things!

I often spread crushed egg shells under my fruit trees, however, I hadn't thought of adding biochar (mostly because I don't have a whole lot of it, so it tends to get added to duck/chicken bedding in our wet winters).  I think that your idea is great and it would be wonderful if more permies tried the experiment on their land.

I will admit, that when I read the subject line, I thought maybe you had somehow incorporated biochar in your storage system. One of the reasons apples deteriorate in storage is ethylene gas. Any thoughts as to whether biochar might absorb ethylene gas from nearby?

Anyone have any idea whether bags of damp biochar stored beside/on top of apples might help them store longer? Inquiring minds would like to know!

Interesting idea, Jay. I have heard of biochar/charcoal being used as a filter for liquids many times.  It does seem to lower the stench of something like manure, but there seems to be a liquid factor.  My apples are in a non-air tight shed, so I don't think it's a big factor in my case.  

John S
PDX OR

When things stink, I believe that it is often because they have gone anaerobic.  Humans don't like the smell of things that have gone anaerobic, because it is associated with microbes that cause disease, sickness and death.  Well-made biochar is so porous that it has air in it.  It can decrease the bad smells by changing soil or other materials from anaerobic to aerobic. When air can get to the material, the anaerobic microbes die and the aerobic ones take over.   Humans like aerobic smells because they are associated with crops growing well and healthy food, as well as healthy humans.  

I don't think that it will decrease airborne smells as effectively because the smells are already traveling through the air.

John S
PDX OR

John Suavecito wrote:Interesting idea, Jay. I have heard of biochar/charcoal being used as a filter for liquids many times.  It does seem to lower the stench of something like manure, but there seems to be a liquid factor.  My apples are in a non-air tight shed, so I don't think it's a big factor in my case.  

I seem to remember reading something somewhere here about storing apples in wood ash to make them last longer, because wood ash either absorbs or breaks down ethylene? Since char contains some ash and is also very porous, maybe it could work?

Eino Kenttä wrote:

John Suavecito wrote:Interesting idea, Jay. I have heard of biochar/charcoal being used as a filter for liquids many times.  It does seem to lower the stench of something like manure, but there seems to be a liquid factor.  My apples are in a non-air tight shed, so I don't think it's a big factor in my case.  

I seem to remember reading something somewhere here about storing apples in wood ash to make them last longer, because wood ash either absorbs or breaks down ethylene? Since char contains some ash and is also very porous, maybe it could work?

I read about storing cabbages in wood ash in Sepp Holzer’s book. I would also think some calcium is inherently going to be applied with biochar as it usually has some ash content. My understanding of how biochar works would make it reasonable to infer it’s improving the distinctive flavors of varietals much like how wines express themselves in different terroir. The biochar provides homes for diverse microbes and holds nutrients, so when the plant needs a particular thing it just needs to exude sugars (30-50% go into the soil, especially during fruiting) and microbes use that energy to acquire and process nutrients that become available to the plant. A bit like how a person can be their best self when they have a community support system with positive feedback providing what they need when they need it in return for what they contribute.

How do you store your apples?  Could that have something to do with them lasting longer?

Is the temperature different this year?

Do you store them in wood or metal?

Do you wrap the apples in tissue paper?

I do like your theory about the calcium in biochar.