Biochar has many beneficial uses. Here are a few highlights.

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One of the most popular uses for biochar is as a beneficial soil amendment. Haleakalā Biochar makes biochar (pure carbon granules) at the right controlled temperature, using a consistent hardwood feedstock: eucalyptus, and wattle, Upcountry Maui’s most notorious invasive, fire prone trees. There are two main ways to use biochar as a soil amendment:

DURING THE PLANTING PROCESS: Mix our biochar granules into your potting mix or in the ground with your planting soil. Ideally, biochar makes up 10% of this soil mix for optimum benefits. Ideally, quality compost and *filtered water can be added to the hole or the soil as the biochar is added, which helps promote moisture retention below ground and kick-starts beneficial microbial action. Once planting is complete, add compost tea-soaked **mulch to the top your plantings to help amplify the benefits of biochar.

POST-PLANTING/EXISTING PLANTS: Biochar can also be used as a “top dressing” – that is, it can be added to the surface of the ground and will eventually work its way into the soil in and round existing plantings of trees, shrubs, and even grasses. When using as a soil amendment around existing plants, biochar can be combined with compost, applied in a ring around each tree/plant, watered with filtered water, and covered in a thick (3- 5 inch) layer of mulch. Compost tea can also be a beneficial additive in this case.

* Note on filtered water: please research your municipal water supply and use a hose filter that removes chemicals used in water treatment facilities, like chlorine and chloramine.

** Note on mulch: please use caution when sourcing mulch to ensure you are not spreading invasive seeds and/or unwanted pests, such as Coconut Rhinocerous Beetle (CRB).