permaculture

[christopher nesbitt <christopher.nesbitt@mmrfbz.org>]

ALbert explains it as "apartments" for soil biota, and that it is stable.
On Nov 16, 2011, at 10:47 AM, Toby Hemenway wrote:

> 
> On Nov 16, 2011, at 8:22 AM, Steve Bonney wrote:
> 
>> On 11/15/2011 8:03 PM, christopher nesbitt wrote:
>>> That charcoal will be full of microrganisms in a short amount of time.
>> 
>> Is there any research to indicate this? I am thinking about the practice 
>> of charring the bottom length of posts before burying so that they do 
>> not rot (or at least have a much slower rate of decomposition).
> 
> I've seen photos. The microbes aren't eating the charcoal; they are using 
> all the pore space in it to adhere to, and consuming nutrients that float 
> past in soil moisture. The charcoal itself is more or less inert. Same as 
> in a reed bed; the bugs cling to the gravel, and they sure aren't eating 
> that.
> 
> Toby
> http://patternliteracy.com
> 
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_____________________________
Christopher Nesbitt

Maya Mountain Research Farm
San Pedro Columbia, Toledo
PO 153 Punta Gorda Town, Toledo
BELIZE, 
Central America

www.mmrfbz.org