Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi Folks

My first post and a topic which I found whilst surfing, and being a keen gardener I thought I would join a gardening forum for the first time and share our findings.

The topic of using forms of carbon to improve the soil/produce is a thing I have been using for several years with great success. The area and one covered by our Gaian Guru, James Lovelock of burying carbon/charcoal is not a new one, several modern ancients have been using these methods for millenia.

We tried burying carbon at single and double layers, 8 and 18 inches deep in our well drained river silt soils, then using a Drager sniffer unit the results were a higher Co2 level at the two vital areas of the root ball and water gathering areas of our staples greens, but carbons can be buried at levels to suit species.

Here are a few links and techniques that we have been following to get great vedge by fixing Co2 to where the plants make use of this valuable natural fertiliser, used in greenuouees at levels of 600 ppm.

http://co2au.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/v-b ... 9.html?m=1

Another technique that we adapted that have brought marked results, is by using copper tools, three years in using our own home made tools has seen a reduction in slugs in the areas we tried this old model, discovered by Viktor Schauberger.

I have devised at device for transplanting carrots with seperate copper cones that hold our carbon mix, that supports the seedlings and hydroponics the roots below that works very well for early carrots, when I have worked out how to post pictures I will share with everyone.

Keep the faith

Davy.

Split (moderated) out of Soot topic as soot can contain stuff you really don't want to be putting around your vegetables, although it was used historically.

Ties up with this old discussion-old topic

So what's the conclusion to all this — that I should be putting bonfire ash on my plot? Er, yes. Why not.

I'm not sure about copper tools. Apart from being very heavy, I should imagine they might bend rather easily.

FelixLeiter wrote:So what's the conclusion to all this — that I should be putting bonfire ash on my plot? Er, yes. Why not.

I'm not sure about copper tools. Apart from being very heavy, I should imagine they might bend rather easily.

Hi Felix

To answer you first question, and not to come across as pedantic, but there is a clue as what to do in the first word of the title. Wood ash is not charcoal, its the moisture retaining properties of pure carbon that one is aiming for, fine particles of pure carbon also attract Co2 and fix it in the soil where plant readily make use of what is basically nowasays a rare natural fertiliser in air.

http://co2au.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/v-b ... 9.html?m=1

For a better understanding of the benefits of many reasons of using bronse or copper tools, try reserching works by Viktor Schauberger, basically it is to do with static energy fields that exist within the soil, which are disturbed by using iron tools.

As an engineer tool maker by original vocation, I made my own copper tools and used the common old planishing technique to work harden the crystaline structures within the metal for a very versatile tool.

As far as strength goes they are every bit as strong if not stronger than the cheaper pressed mild steel models commonly available today, and are no heavier, my own incorporate a slightly longer than normal handle like the ones used on many of the Victorian or vintage models, like those once made by Elwell...This aids use by spaning the wrist so the end of the handle rests just above the joint of the wrist, for a much better leverage and less stressful time when used constantly, see picture of an old Elwell.

Each time you use a copper tools a small amount of copper is left behind and builds up in your plot over time and stays there, which slugs don't like to languish within, hensce the use of copper in many anti slug devices.

Copper was also commonly used to line ships below the water line of the hulls of the early naval men of war, this not only kept the marine creatures at bay, but made for a very clean and faster route through the water.

Copper tools never go rusty either and clean themselves every time you use them, and no need to oil them up after use.

There is a company called Implementations, who make some wonderful bronze tools which are basically copper mixed with a small amount of tin, their smaller tools are relatively affordable, but their spades are quite expensive, but I have their spade on my wish list this year to complete my kit.

Hope that helps explain a few things, keep the faith.

Davy.

I bought a bronze tool from Implementations a few years ago and it is lovely to use. The handle is a beautifully shaped ash and the head is a bit like a sharp edged pointed mattock, but not as heavy. It is extremely useful for hoeing, earthing up, drawing seed drills and lots of other things. It is one of my favourite tools, it is quite light but also strong and keeps a nice sharp edge, and if it has the other benefits mentioned even better.

PLUMPUDDING wrote:I bought a bronze tool from Implementations a few years ago and it is lovely to use. The handle is a beautifully shaped ash and the head is a bit like a sharp edged pointed mattock, but not as heavy. It is extremely useful for hoeing, earthing up, drawing seed drills and lots of other things. It is one of my favourite tools, it is quite light but also strong and keeps a nice sharp edge, and if it has the other benefits mentioned even better.

Nice tool and the silver soldering on them is well done, when I dig my trowel out I will post a picture.

Edit:

My home made trowel, the handle is slightly longer than the blade and comes just past the wrist for a more controllable action and extends the reach by three inches if held by the ball end.

Could one just use some bags of ordinary lump charcoal and smash it up a bit?


PS
I have some of the bronze tools from implimentations. They are lovely to use. They recently made a garden fork (they apparently don't use them on the continent so there wasn't one in the range - it is the least successful, but still fine to use)

I particularly like the little loop hand weeder. It is fantastic to use - quick and easy.

darkbrowneggs wrote:Could one just use some bags of ordinary lump charcoal and smash it up a bit?


PS
I have some of the bronze tools from implimentations. They are lovely to use. They recently made a garden fork (they apparently don't use them on the continent so there wasn't one in the range - it is the least successful, but still fine to use)

I particularly like the little loop hand weeder. It is fantastic to use - quick and easy.

Yes the charred flakes can be ground up as the modern ancients did, in the link I added earlier they did this too. Creating smaller finer dust increases the surface area expo and helps to retain more liquid, a bit like seeding the clouds but the soil.

If you witness what happens to plant life after forest fires with the abundance of carbon, the bi-product from the fires, Co2 and carbon. The great plains of North America were once huge forests until the natives burned them all down, after the very first explorers, who were themselves killed, left behind horses, once the natives tamed and trained them found hunting the beef in the open instead of the closed forests.

There is several reasons for carbon aiding plant growth, especially in and around ancient volcano's where the soil is highly fertile, as Co2 increases so will plant life, a higher carbon atmosphere will aid food growing without the need for manmade fertilisers and more freedom.

We have found that slugs preffer clean soil with certain nutrient man adds, this is why we only use composted humous, because rotting vedgetation can sometimes hot bed and activate lingering eggs in the soil.

I much prefer to use a spade instead of a fork when digging as an all round tool.