CHARCOAL AS AN ADDITIVE

COMPONENT IN SOIL

Group 8

Abeleda, Emman

Alvarez, Kennedy

Acabal, Gifted

Alfaras, Aileen

Pedrezuela, Bianca

CHARCOAL Charcoal is a fine black odorless and tasteless powder

made from wood or other materials that have been exposed to very high temperatures in an airless environment. It is then treated, or activated, to increase its ability to adsorb various substances by reheating with oxidizing gas or other chemicals to break it into a very fine powder. Activated charcoal is pure carbon specially processed to make it highly adsorbent of particles and gases in the body's digestive system. 

Activated charcoal has often been used since ancient times to cure a variety of ailments including poisoning. Its healing effects have been well documented since as early as 1550 B.C. by the Egyptians. However, charcoal was almost forgotten until 15 years ago when it was rediscovered as a wonderful oral agent to treat most overdoses and toxins. 

COMPONENTS OF CHARCOAL Activated Charcoal is a highly adsorbent

material that most people associate with air and water filters.  (Adsorption, as opposed to absorption, is an electrical, not mechanical, process by which the organic and inorganic compounds bind to the surface of the Activated Charcoal without entering into its molecule.)  It is this amazing adsorbency that plays a critical role in detoxification.

WHY CHARCOAL?Charcoal increases the amount of

water a soil ca holdImproves soil PHCharcoal is full of tiny pores so it

can absorb pesticides and chemicals secreted from the roots

Enhances special fungi that infect a plant’s roots and help it get more nutrients from the soil

High alkalinity Neutralization of acidic soil and

improvement of chemical components of soil and

selection of microorganismsNon organic matter Exclusion of saprophytes and

propagation of autotrophic and symbiotic microorganisms, free living nitrogen fixing bacteria, root nodule bacteria, Frankia and some mycorrhizal fungi

CHARCOAL USESOf the current uses "soil improvement" is really a byproduct from charcoal manufacture. The fine

charcoal pieces that are sieved before the charcoal is

bagged are usable for soil improvement usually in horticultural situations.

MATERIALS:

18 pcs. of 1.5 liters charcoal plant seed soil

Okra BeansPotato Radish

PROCEDURES

OPTION # 1

Step 1

Place charcoal in the bottom of a garden pot. While charcoal is porous, which means water can seep through it, avoid covering up the pot's drainage hole. How much charcoal you put in the pot is dependent on the size of your pot. An average size pot that is 6 to 8 inches in diameter should have a 2-inch layer of charcoal placed in it.

Step 2

Fill the rest of the pot with potting soil leaving 2 inches of space free of soil at the top of the pot.

Step 3

Dig a hole for your seeds/ plants. Place them in the hole and refill the hole with the potting soil.

Step 4

Water your seeds/ plants and plan to water them whenever the top layer of soil dries out.

Step 5

Place the pot in an area where it can receive the required amount of sunlight.

Step 6

Change out the charcoal whenever you re-pot your plant.

OPTION # 2Step 1

Mix 1 part horticulture charcoal and 2 parts of potting soil and mix together.

Step 2

Place the mix into your pot leaving 2 inches of space free of soil at the top of the pot.

Step 3

Dig a hole for your seeds/plants. Place them in the hole and refill the hole with the potting soil.

Step 4

Water your seeds/plants and plan to water them whenever the top layer of soil dries out. Place the pot in an area where it can receive the required amount of sunlight.

Step 5

Make a new potting mix of soil and charcoal whenever you change out your pot.

RELATED STUDIES

SIGNIFICANCECarbon

Soil organic matter, a.k.a. carbon, is black gold—it makes the garden grow and thrive. Soil with a high percentage of organic matter has a loose, crumbly texture and a dark brown color. When your soil has sufficient organic matter, the plants growing in it:

Tolerate drought better.Organic matter acts like a sponge, soaking up extra water and releasing it when needed.

Grow larger and more vigorously.Plants grown in soil with abundant organic matter receive a slow release of nutrients all season.

Resist pests and disease.Healthy plants are naturally resistant to pests and disease. Research has shown that compost has disease-suppressive qualities. For many areas of the country, the peak breakdown of carbon is May through July. Soils are relatively warm and hold plenty of moisture. This coincides with the time our garden plants need lots of nutrients—when they are growing and setting fruit.

It helps support the productivity and diversity of all living organisms in the soil. It influences water-holding capacity, aeration, soil aggregation, and other physical aspects. It affects cation exchange capacity, the supply and availability of other nutrient elements, buffering capacity and other chemical parameters of soil. Soil organic matter, with soil carbon, holds vast amounts of organic compounds, nutrients, trace elements, and cations that are essential to plant growth and biological activity. 

It serves as a repository for carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas. The amount of carbon in the soil has been estimated to be at least two times greater than carbon in the atmosphere and in vegetation. The problems associated with climate change might be alleviated if more carbon remains captured in the soil as organic carbon