TerraTonic Biochar

A Sustainable Solution for Soil Health

What is biochar? An eco-friendly substance made from renewable wood waste, designed to improve soil structure and support healthy plant growth.

Optimizing Soil Health

Explore the Benefits of TerraTonic Biochar

What does biochar do for soil? Find out more about all the biochar innovations you can enjoy with these benefits.

biochar in soil increases water holding capacity

Rich in Organic Carbon

Packed with organic carbon, TerraTonic Biochar is essential for promoting soil health and fostering sustainable agriculture.

Water Holding Capacity

Thanks to its porous structure, TerraTonic Biochar can absorb and store water for the benefit of soil and plants, providing essential hydration when required.

Nutrients Retention

TerraTonic Biochar safeguards nutrients by storing them, preventing leaching, and releasing them gradually to nurture the soil and plants.

Boost Soil Bacteria

TerraTonic Biochar creates a thriving habitat for microorganisms, promoting a balanced and healthy soil ecosystem.

Our Custom Biochar Inoculation

Our custom biochar blends integrate microbial inoculants and nutrients into pre-conditioned biochar, creating an effective biochar bioremediation medium tailored to restore degraded soils and upcycle organic waste.

Enhanced Soil Health

Microbe-enhanced biochar boosts soil fertility and regenerates degraded land.

Cost & Time Efficiency

Our all-in-one and ready-to-apply blends eliminate the need for multiple products, saving time and reducing costs, with no lengthy inoculation wait.

Sustainable Impact

Formulated with natural, organic ingredients, our solutions support sustainable agriculture, promote long-term soil health, and contribute to environmental restoration.

Versatile Solutions

Effectively address a variety of agricultural and environmental needs, delivering results across diverse soil types and conditions.

What Is Biochar | About TerraTonic Biochar

What does biochar do for soil? It offers a sustainable material that promotes microbial activity by retaining oxygen, moisture, and nutrients in its porous structure.

Wood Biochar

This material is made by heating forestry softwood residues, which would otherwise pose a fire hazard, in a controlled environment with limited oxygen. This process, known as pyrolysis, transforms the residues into a highly stable and durable carbon-rich material called biochar.

This material is made by heating forestry softwood residues, which would otherwise pose a fire hazard, in a controlled environment with limited oxygen. This process, known as pyrolysis, transforms the residues into a highly stable and durable carbon-rich material called biochar.

Porous Structure

Biochar is fundamentally made of tiny pores, ranging from micrometers to nanometers, that provide a vast surface area for microbial attachment and growth. These pores also store water and nutrients, releasing them to the environment as needed.

Porous structure of biochar with microbials and nutrients
TerraTonic Biochar Soil Conditioner Product Image

TerraTonic Biochar Soil Conditioner

Elevate your soil quality with TerraTonic Biochar Soil Conditioner, a natural solution to rejuvenate soil health. This premium biochar innovation enhances water retention, improves nutrient accessibility, and fosters a thriving environment for beneficial microbes, resulting in vibrant plant growth.

TerraTonic Biochar Compost Booster Product Image

TerraTonic Biochar Compost Booster

Enhance your composting with TerraTonic Compost Booster. Our formula, with premium biochar and microorganisms, accelerates composting by improving aeration, moisture, and microbial activity. What does this biochar do for soil? It creates rich compost for healthy, thriving plants.

General Tips for Best Results

Charging TerraTonic Biochar with water and nutrients

Charging Biochar

Place biochar in a container and saturate it with water. Mix in organic matter, nutrients, and microbes.

Adding a layer of TerraTonic Biochar

Bottom Layering

For new planting or transplanting, add a ยผ-ยฝ inch layer of biochar at the bottom of the hole, container, or bed.

Watering after TerraTonic Biochar application

Watering after Application

Thoroughly water the soil or compost materials after applying biochar and layering it into your planting area.

Custom Biochar Soil Inoculation

What is biochar primarily used for? It is used to restore soil and environmental health. We optimize biochar, a natural organic soil amendment, by enriching it with beneficial microbes and nutrients. Healthy soil is essential for sustainable agriculture, and our custom biochar blend is designed to revitalize your soil. Here are the benefits to you:

  • Tailored Nutrient Content: Our custom biochar blend allows you to select a unique combination of nutrients that perfectly addresses your soilโ€™s specific needs.
  • Enhanced Soil Structure: The porous structure of biochar improves soil aeration, drainage, and water retention, creating a healthier environment for root growth and nutrient uptake.
  • Pathogen Suppression: Custom biochar alters the microbial community in your soil, transforming harmful pathogens into beneficial organisms. This natural defense reduces the need for pesticides, benefiting both you and the environment.
  • Reduced Fertilizer Dependency: As a superior organic soil amendment, our custom biochar blend helps soil retain nutrients longer, lowering the reliance on non-natural fertilizer products.
  • Long-term Carbon Sequestration: Biochar is rich in carbon, and its structure resists decomposition, enabling it to sequester carbon in the soil for an extended period. This is what makes biochar one of the best organic soil amendments to help combat climate change.
white mycelium spreading through the substrate of a seedling

Applications of TerraTonic Biochar

A white sign with two black lines on itTransform your sandy or clay soils into nutrient-rich soil with just one annual application of TerraTonic Biochar. Improve water and nutrient retention to support plant growth and vitality in your garden or horticultural space.

  • Promotes soil health and sustainability
  • Conserves water resources
  • Boosts microbial activity in soil
  • Reduces the need for excessive fertilizers

A white sign with two black lines on itWhat is biocharโ€™s role in landscaping? It can elevate your projects for a beautiful and environmentally friendly outdoor space. Facilitate lush and thriving landscapes that benefit both your property and the environment.

A white sign with two black lines on itBy incorporating biochar into organic farming practices, you can enhance soil health and boost crop yields sustainably. This stable organic carbon enriches the soil, reducing the need for external inputs and ensuring organic, nutrient-rich produce.

  • Improves soil fertility for crop vitality
  • Helps with water and nutrient management, especially in areas prone to drought
  • Reduces labor and costs for watering and fertilizing
  • Supports farms in their sustainability efforts

A white sign with two black lines on itEnvironmental Remediation

TerraTonic Biochar has the unique ability to absorb and trap harmful substances like heavy metals, odors, and contaminants within its structure, preventing their release into the environment.

  • Improves soil structure, reducing erosion risk
  • Captures carbon and lowers greenhouse gas emissions
  • Serves as a natural water filter, removing contaminants like heavy metals and pesticides
  • Offers a sustainable solution
biochar plant

FAQs About Biochar

Still curious about charging biochar or what biochar can do for soil? Get answers to the most common concerns when you check out what our experts have to say.

Biochar is a carbon-rich solid material produced through a process called pyrolysis. It is made by heating organic materials, such as wood, crop residues, or agricultural waste, in a controlled environment with limited or no oxygen. This process breaks down the organic materials, leaving behind a stable carbon-rich residue known as biochar.

Biochar has a porous structure that can retain water and nutrients while supporting microbial activity in soil. It is used for various purposes, including soil improvement, water filtration, carbon sequestration, and more, due to its potential to enhance soil fertility, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and improve environmental sustainability.

Biochar offers several benefits to soil when applied correctly, including:

  • Improved Soil Structure: Biocharโ€™s porous structure helps improve soil structure by increasing aggregation, which enhances water infiltration and root penetration. This leads to better aeration and root growth.
  • Water Retention: The porosity of biochar allows it to hold onto water and release it slowly, promoting better water retention in the soil. This can help mitigate drought stress for plants.
  • Nutrient Retention and Availability: Biochar has a high cation exchange capacity (CEC), which means it can retain and exchange nutrient ions, making them available to plants over time.
  • Reduced Nutrient Leaching: Biochar can absorb nutrients and prevent them from leaching into groundwater, reducing pollution and improving nutrient use efficiency.
  • Enhanced Microbial Activity: The porous structure of biochar provides habitats for beneficial microorganisms, improving microbial diversity and activity in the soil. This supports nutrient cycling and overall soil health.
  • Carbon Sequestration: Biochar is stable and can persist in the soil for a long time, acting as a form of carbon sequestration, which helps mitigate climate change by storing carbon in the soil.
  • pH Regulation: Biochar innovations, tailored through specific sources and production conditions, can help regulate soil pH, improving its suitability for plant growth.
  • Reduced Erosion: Improved soil structure from biochar application can reduce soil erosion by enhancing its ability to resist water and wind forces.
  • Reduced Soil Compaction: Biocharโ€™s ability to improve soil structure and water movement can help alleviate soil compaction issues.
  • Toxin Absorption: Biochar has the capacity to absorb certain toxins and pollutants, helping to reduce their impact on plants and the environment.
  • Long-Term Benefits: Biocharโ€™s effects can persist for years, making it a valuable long-term soil amendment.

Itโ€™s important to note that the benefits of biochar can vary based on factors like the type of biochar, its application rate, the specific soil type, other nutrient packages, and the local climate. Proper application methods and consideration of site-specific conditions are essential for maximizing the positive impacts of biochar on soil health and plant growth. Know what biochar is before applying it to your farming processes.

Biochar can benefit composting processes and the quality of the resulting compost in several ways:

  • Improved Aeration: Charging biochar and adding it to compost increases pore space, enhancing air circulation within the compost pile. This promotes aerobic conditions that support beneficial microbial activity and faster decomposition.
  • Moisture Regulation: Biocharโ€™s porous structure aids in water retention and release, helping to maintain optimal moisture levels in the compost pile. This prevents both excessive drying and waterlogging.
  • Nutrient Retention: Biochar has a high cation exchange capacity (CEC), which allows it to retain and release nutrients over time. This can help keep essential nutrients available for microbial activity and plant growth.
  • Microbial Habitat: The porous nature of biochar provides niches for beneficial microorganisms, fostering diverse microbial communities that aid in decomposition and nutrient cycling.
  • Carbon Sequestration: Incorporating biochar into compost can increase the carbon content of the final product. This contributes to carbon sequestration and can enhance the organic matter content of soils when the compost is applied.
  • Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Biocharโ€™s stability can help reduce the release of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane during composting.
  • pH Regulation: Depending on the type of biochar used, it can help regulate pH levels in the compost, creating conditions conducive to microbial activity.
  • Reduced Odors: Biocharโ€™s absorption properties can help capture and mitigate odors that sometimes arise during the composting process.
  • Pathogen Suppression: Some innovations shown in biochar studies and research are known to suppress harmful pathogens in compost, making the final compost safer for plant application.
  • Extended Compost Life: Biocharโ€™s durability allows it to contribute to the long-term stability of compost, potentially extending the benefits of the compost when applied to soil.

Itโ€™s important to noteโ€”what biochar does for soil during composting can vary based on factors such as the feedstock type, the source and properties of the biochar, and the composting process itself. Appropriate experimentation, monitoring, and adjustments may be necessary to achieve the desired results when incorporating biochar into composting practices.

Biochar innovation can play a role in combating climate change through carbon sequestration and soil improvement:

  • Carbon Sequestration: Offering a stable form of carbon that persists in the soil for a long time is what biochar is known for. When added to soil, it effectively stores carbon from organic materials, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. This sequestration helps mitigate the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change mitigation.
  • Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions: By enhancing soil structure, nutrient retention, and microbial activity, biochar improves soil health. Healthy soils release fewer greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.
  • Improved Soil Fertility: Biochar enhances nutrient retention and availability in soil, allowing plants to grow more efficiently. Healthier plants absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis, reducing its concentration.
  • Altered Nitrogen Cycling: Biochar can influence nitrogen cycling in soil, reducing nitrous oxide emissions, a greenhouse gas with a much higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide.
  • Forest and Land Management: Applying biochar to forests, agricultural lands, and degraded landscapes can improve soil quality and support the growth of trees and plants. This encourages more carbon to be sequestered in vegetation and soil.
  • Rehabilitation of Degraded Land: Microbe-enhanced biochar innovations can revitalize degraded or contaminated soils, making them more suitable for vegetation. This restoration helps to sequester carbon and prevents the release of stored carbon due to land degradation.
  • Reduced Erosion: Charging biochar with microbes and essential nutrients improves soil structure and helps reduce erosion. Erosion leads to the loss of fertile topsoil, along with its carbon, and contributes to carbon dioxide emissions when soil is disturbed.
  • Adaptation to Climate Change: Biochar-amended soils can have better water retention and drought resistance. This can help plants survive in changing climate conditions, contributing to ecosystem stability.

While biochar offers promising benefits in combating climate change, its effectiveness depends on feedstock selection, production methods, application rates, and soil types. Implementing biochar as part of a comprehensive climate mitigation strategy requires careful consideration of local conditions and a balanced approach to land use and carbon management.

Biochar can enhance soil fertility and nutrient availability but generally cannot replace traditional fertilizers entirely. Instead, what biochar does for soil is enhance the effectiveness of fertilizers when used together while also reducing nutrient runoff. Hereโ€™s why:

Nutrient Retention: Biochar has a high cation exchange capacity (CEC) and can absorb and retain nutrients in the soil. This means that it can help hold onto nutrients, making them available for plant uptake over time and reducing the risk of leaching.

Slow-Release of Nutrients: Biocharโ€™s porous structure allows it to slowly release nutrients back into the soil as plants need them. This can lead to a more sustained nutrient supply compared to rapid-release fertilizers.

Soil Health Improvement: Biochar enhances soil structure, microbial activity, and water retention, which can support healthier plant growth and nutrient uptake.

Reduced Nutrient Loss: The combination of nutrient retention and slow-release properties can reduce the loss of nutrients through leaching, helping to prevent pollution of water bodies.

Unfortunately, what biochar is lacking is the full spectrum of essential nutrients that plants need for optimal growth. Traditional fertilizers are specifically formulated to provide the necessary balance of nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

In agricultural and gardening practices, biochar is often used alongside fertilizers, compost, or other soil amendments to create a comprehensive approach to soil management. The combination of biocharโ€™s ability to improve soil structure, nutrient retention, and slow-release properties, along with the targeted application of fertilizers, can result in more efficient nutrient utilization and improved plant growth.

Biochar is created through pyrolysis, which involves heating organic materials with limited oxygen. This produces biochar, volatile gases, and liquid byproducts. The feedstock is prepared and heated in a controlled environment, and the resulting biochar is collected after cooling.

No, not all biochar is the same. Biochar can vary significantly based on several factors, including the feedstock used, pyrolysis conditions, production methods, and intended applications. Here are some ways in which biochar can differ:

  • Feedstock: Biochar can be produced from various organic materials such as wood, crop residues, agricultural waste, and even animal manure. The properties of the biochar can vary based on the composition of the original feedstock.
  • Production Conditions: The temperature, heating rate, and duration of the pyrolysis process can influence the physical and chemical properties of the resulting biochar. Higher temperatures may lead to a more stable and porous biochar.
  • Particle Size and Structure: The size and structure of biochar particles can influence their surface area, porosity, and effectiveness in various applications.
  • Chemical Composition: Biochar can contain varying levels of carbon, ash, and other elements based on the feedstock and production conditions. Some biochar may have higher mineral content, which can affect their properties.
  • Application: Biochar can be used for different purposes, such as soil amendment, water filtration, carbon sequestration, and more. The optimal characteristics of biochar can vary depending on its intended use. Charging biochar is essential prior to use.
  • Surface Area and Porosity: These properties impact biocharโ€™s ability to retain water and nutrients and support microbial activity. Different production methods can lead to variations in surface area and porosity.
  • pH and Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC): Biochar can influence soil pH and cation exchange capacity, affecting its interactions with nutrients and other compounds in the environment.

Due to these variations, itโ€™s important to consider the properties of a particular biochar when using it for a specific application. Different types of biochar may be more suitable for certain purposes, and researchers continue to study how biochar properties can be optimized for different applications.

The frequency of charging biochar and applying it to your garden or farm depends on various factors, including the type of soil, the specific crops youโ€™re growing, the biocharโ€™s properties, and your goals for soil improvement. Generally, applying biochar once a year can be a good starting point, but there are some considerations:

  • Soil Type: If your soil is sandy and drains quickly, you might need to apply biochar more frequently than to soils with higher water and nutrient retention.
  • Plant Needs: Different plants have varying nutrient requirements and growth rates. Some plants might benefit from more frequent applications of biochar to support their nutrient and water needs.
  • Initial Soil Condition: If your soil is already nutrient-rich and well-structured, you might not need to apply biochar as frequently as someone with poorer soil conditions.
  • Biochar Type: Different types of biochar can have varying effects on soil properties. Some biochars might need to be reapplied more often to maintain their benefits.
  • Complementary Practices: If youโ€™re using biochar in conjunction with other soil amendments, such as compost or fertilizers, the frequency of application might change based on the synergy of these practices.
  • Monitoring: Regularly monitoring your soilโ€™s condition, plant health, and nutrient levels can guide your decision on when to reapply biochar.ย 

In practice, itโ€™s a good idea to start with a smaller application and observe how your soil and crops respond. This will help you gauge the effectiveness and duration of biocharโ€™s benefits in your specific context. Over time, you can adjust the frequency of applications based on your observations and the evolving needs of your garden or farm. Consulting with local agricultural extension services or experts familiar with your regionโ€™s conditions can also provide valuable insights.

Biochar is generally safe for most plants, but its effects can vary based on plant species, soil conditions, biochar type, and application rate. Local considerations and small-scale trials are recommended to ensure positive outcomes.