Re: [compost_tea] Re: carbonization

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 10:16:43 -0500
Absolutely, when charcoal is being formed, nutrients are being lost through volatilization, and organisms are dying because they are being converted to charcoal. 

I did not know that charcoal production meant that there was no oxygen present or, as Steve points out, oxygen concentration has dropped below some level. 

So, take that as another useful indicator of what happened in someone's pile.  If charcoal is present, the pile MUST have gone anaerobic, lost a bunch of nutrients and lost a great deal of the desirable organisms.  Can it still be called compost?  

I wonder what that threshold level of oxygen is?  For charcoal to be formed, what concentration has oxygen dropped below? 

--
Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
SFI Corvallis, OR
SFI Port Jefferson, NY
SFI Lismore, NSW, Australia
SFI Cambridge, New Zealand
SFI Culiacan, Mexico
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http://www.soilfoodweb.com


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Received on Thu Dec 30 2004 - 11:34:25 EST

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