Black

I have not been on this site for 5 years and one of the first topics/ideas that I saw had to do with Terra Preta in temperate climates. For the last five years I have had a Terra Preta garden in Fort Collins, Colorado, and I wanted to see if Terra Preta does what it claims and could I do it and get results. Here is what I have learned: 1. It makes an immediate impact in biological activity. I had a solid clay soil before I amended it with about 80 to 100 pounds of charcol/biochar in a garden plot 10 feet by 20 feet. Almost as soon as I put the biochar in I had worms! Using the worm population as the first indicator of biologic activity Terra Preta does make a difference! 2. Because of Colorado's akaline soil I used pine needle (acidic parent material) biochar along with pure charcol and have always had good luck with tomatoes, but for the first 3 years of strict organic practices I did not get a productive garden but more of a struggling one. Terra Preta does not replace orgainic material and I started adding more orgainic material each year. 3. During the third year my garden production went way down. Reason is that my clay soil overwhelmed the Terra Preta/orgainc matter in my soil. So I started to fertilize and got very good results but realized that I needed more and more orgainc material if this was going to work. 4. These last two years I have added more and more orgainic material but my soil still wants to turn back to clay anytime I don't pay attention to it but remember it was solid clay to start with. 5. Conclusion: Terra Preta will enhance a soil but does not replace the need for a balanced ecosystem based on good soil practices. Questions: 1. Because of our temperate climate and reduced biological activity in the winter, how long does it take to make a good Terra Preta soil? 2. Is it possible to replicate the results obtained in the Tropics? Or does Terra Preta need year round biological activity to work? 3. What is the best blend of Charcol/Biochar to orgainc matter? 4. What "recipies" do we need for different types of soil? Clay vs. sand or alkaline vs. acidic? 5. How many years to obtain a self sufficient system? Is it even possible in a temperate climate? 6. Is Terra Preta cost effective in temperate climates? My own personl conclusion is the charchol/bio char helps but that alone does not make "Terra Preta" soil. I also feel that until we get widespread studies of how to make Terra Preta in temparate climates and various types of soil we may be trying to apply a "tropic" solution to a "temperate" problem. Thanks to all, R. Black