John Suavecito

There are many reasons why I try to maximize biocjar and minimize ash. Ash helps but it doesn't last as long as biochar. Biochar has more volume. Biochar helps mycelium more. Biochar doesn't shift ph as much. Biochar helps retain moisture and improve drainage.
John S
PDX OR

I make my biochar in the driveway, so access to the hose is easy. Quenching it activates it. It's close to sterile at that point. If you let it sit for 4 hours, the chlorine will waft off. If you add a small amount of compost or similar, it will break down the chloramine. Enough to turn it light brown.

John S
PDX OR

I try to make as little ash as possible for that reason. We have acidic soils, so some ash is good.

As I've said earlier, I've grown both American and Asian persimmons. I prefer the Americans, because IMHO, they have a more complex, wild flavor.  They're so good that i eat them all up. None to process.
John S
PDX OR

I would put some mulch or even dirt over that. It would keep the dust down.  In addition, you want the biochar to be kept moist, so all of the microbes can stay alive in side it.  That's my two cents.
John S
PDX OR

I have dug in places where I put biochar 3-4 years ago and I couldn't find it. The soil was darker, but there were no chunks of biochar.  I think it becomes incorporated into the soil.  It still does its job, though.  I agree with Tony, though. First priority for me would be around the plants.
JohN S
PDX OR

That's an interesting technique. It's sort of like the trench method, but a bit different.
John S
PDX OR

Here in the PNW you can grow either the Asian persimmons or the American ones. Neither are native here.  I prefer the American ones because they have a more complex flavor. It's a little bit like butterscotch or rum.  The early American ones ripen earlier than any of  the Asian ones, so you can eat them fresh over a longer period of time.  They are so delicious that I just eat them right up.  The Asian ones taste good, but they are kind of sweet and bland IMHO. One Asian kind that I like is called Saijo.  It's kind of a sloppy mess when ripe, but delicious.  Some of the American varieties That I like the most are Garretson, H-118 (prairie something) and Szukis.  Szukis is mostly male, which makes more seeded, pollinated persimmons. My Szukis didn't really taste good until I biocharred it. Then it quintupled in production and flavor. Some of the varieties get bigger and tastier when seeded.

John S
PDX OR

The upside of having a yard full of healthy food is I get great, nutritious food almost for free.  The downside is that I just eat too much.  I continue to find that I need to fast in order to not get too fat.  The discipline of it definitely helps.  When I'm not working (I'm mostly retired now), I find I need to make an extra effort to fast.  Fasting while working is easy for me.  I am just very busy, so I focus on that. When I'm not working, I go out in the yard and graze, or stare into the refrigerator.  It probably sounds rather shallow to say that my wife is such a great cook, that it's hard for me to resist.  That's why committing to fasting works for me.

John S
PDX OR

The shock of the cold water also activates it, meaning it puffs it up and makes it a better home for the myriad of microbes that we're trying to nurture.
John S
PDX OR