Biochar or Woodchips? What is the best choice for your perennial garden or food forest? Which is better? Positives and Negatives.
Something I forgot to mention on biochar:
Biochar is highly resistant to microbiological decay, therefore it is not a food source for microorganisms. In my discussion I talk about how force feeding carbon to the soil will cause a microbiological tie up of other nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous. This was in reference to woodchips or other non-inert carbonaceous material such as leaves. If you bury these materials you will cause a biological tying up of these nutrients and your plants will be stunted. Always use these materials as mulches. Biochar can tie up nutrients if it is burried without being "charged" not for the above reason, but because it binds nutrients strongly. This is the charcoal filter analogy.
Please comment if you have something to add, point out something i've missed or said incorrectly.
