Re-crunching your biochar

Many people on this list crush their biochar to make it smaller before inoculating it.  There have been findings that the inoculation doesn't go very deep into the biochar, so if it's a big chunk, it's mostly not inoculated. It might take much longer to really behave as a microbe hotel in a homeostasis with the soil.  

I have been crushing it in burlap bags in the driveway, then driving over it.  One thing I noticed again today is that during the first time you drive over it, you get a very satisfying ASMR type sound. (ASMR are those videos that make sounds that make you relaxed and comfortable to sleep). However, you usually never hear that again.  On the second time, it's nearly silent.  It feels like it isn't crunching any more.  

Today, after crunching it, I stopped the car and went back out to fluff it back up.  Then I drove over it again.  It was not silent this time. You could definitely hear that crunching sound again.  I feel like I"m crushing it to a higher degree.  Previously, it was crushed pretty well, but I would have wanted it crushed a little bit more.  I'll check this time and see if it's better, or if I still want to crush it some more.

John S
PDX OR

John Suavecito wrote:Many people on this list crush their biochar to make it smaller before inoculating it.  There have been findings that the inoculation doesn't go very deep into the biochar, so if it's a big chunk, it's mostly not inoculated. It might take much longer to really behave as a microbe hotel in a homeostasis with the soil.  

So is this maybe the difference between biochar and terra preta—that the former isn’t fully inoculated and biologized, but the latter is?

That's a great question.  Maybe our biochar is hoping to eventually become terra preta-like. I have noticed that after a few years, it is harder to find the bigger chunks of biochar and I'm more likely to find black soil and smaller pieces where there were chunks of biochar.  I would think that microbes and other beings in the soil have something to do with breaking it down into smaller and smaller units.   I have no scientifically measured way of accurately describing how fast the process happens, but it's a great question.  

I know that there are some biochar enthusiasts who don't crush their biochar at all.  In some methods, it would be logistically difficult to do much crushing.  The trench method comes to mind.  Some people consider themselves to be healing the Earth as much as improving their soil for their own benefit.  It's a noble effort.  Personally, I'd prefer to both heal the Earth and improve my soil for my benefit.  Others use a more minimalist effort to crush the biochar.  It's not my place to tell other people what to do. My land, ability to make fires, access to wood, and other factors are different than other people's situations.   I just like to share ideas, because most of what I've learned and developed about biochar has been sharing and learning on this forum.

John S
PDX OR

I find that big chunks of char do not soak up my crude inoculants even if immersed for quite a long time. That doesn't matter much to me, since my system (mechanical + frost cracking) compensates for that and slowly breaks it up smaller and smaller in situ. Still, what I've observed suggests the principle is sound. The other part of it is that finer char may hold moisture much better.

I just checked it and it's much smaller than before.  It looks about perfect now.  1/4" gravel sized.  I'll have to remember to do this next time.
John S
PDX OR