Spring planting is just around the corner, and this year you can try adding some biochar to your soil. Last year, the City of Asheville completed a biochar production pilot in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service, and we are ready to get the activated biochar out into local gardens.
Biochar is a stable, carbon-rich material that can improve soil health, promote plant growth, and sequester carbon while storing nutrients, retaining water, and housing beneficial soil organisms. To enhance the benefits of the biochar, we are “charging” it by mixing it with commercial compost so that the final product is full of nutrients when it gets to your garden.
Bountiful Cities will host the free event on Friday, March 27 at 1 p.m. at the Pearson Community Garden. Attendees are invited to come learn about biochar production and best practices for use in home gardens or landscapes. Bring a bucket to take some home to test out in your personal garden. We encourage participants to engage in citizen science by setting up a home trial to observe plant growth and garden production in areas with and without biochar.
The City produced the Biochar and purchased compost from Danny’s Dumpster, the local composting company that hauls and processes the food scraps from the City’s drop off program. It’s closing the loop by returning people’s kitchen scraps to them — with an upgrade.
As the City continues to explore biochar production as a potential powerful tool for woody waste management, soil health enhancement, wildfire risk reduction, and meeting carbon reduction goals, we’re excited to continue making real world connections with residents and support for food production opportunities. Additional trials are being held for farm-scale application using the rest of pilot-produced biochar in collaboration with NC State Extension.
Make sure to register ahead of time using the above link and bring a bucket! Happy planting!