Biochar is a very porous form of charcoal or black carbon that is produced through the pyrolysis of plant and animal biomass and is used as a soil improver. Biochar can create a ‘happy habitat’ for your cannabis clones due to its capacity to provide long-term carbon sequestration (storage of carbon) and improve crop productivity. Soil-applied biochar can improve the systemic resistance of marijuana plants to various foliar pathogens. 

Biochar’s ability to transform biomass carbon into a more stable form (carbon sequestration) gives it environmental and agricultural potential. As an environmentally friendly substance, biochar can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Historical Background

Biochar has been around for many centuries now. It is speculated to have been used as a soil supplement thousands of years ago in the Amazon basin to create fertile soil or “Terra Preta”. Many people have completely forgotten about it. However, in the past few decades, cannabis farmers have started using biochar once again.

The Growth-Boosting Effects of Biochar on Cannabis Clones

1. Provides Immense Surface Area

Biochar has a complex pore structure with immense surface area – a single gram provides a surface area of more than 1000 square yards! Fungi and microorganisms living in these pores form a symbiotic relationship with cannabis clone root fibers to increase nutrient uptake by clones.

2. Most Persistent Organic Soil Amendment

Biochar is the most persistent organic matter applied to soil, which can last thousands of years. Being comparatively inert, it does not break down like other organic amendments for soil. When buried in soil, biochar can resist microbial and chemical degradation. So, it is a long-term healthy growth solution for marijuana clones.

3. Enhances Soil Health by Fostering Microbial Growth

Because of its naturally large surface area, biochar provides tons of room for fungi and other types of microbes like bacteria to grow and thrive. Bacteria grow quite plentifully in biochar, promoting soil that is healthy and nutrient-rich, perfect for your premium clones. Essentially, you can think of biochar as a five-star hotel for organic materials. In fact, biochar encourages these organic materials to enhance the soil’s food web as well!

4. Attracts Water and Retains Nutrients

Water is also a huge fan of biochar! CEC (cation exchange capacity) is a process in which nutrients give off a (+) charge, biochar gives off a (-) charge, and water gives off a (+/-) charge. This is why both water and nutrients are attracted to biochar.

Here’s another explanation of the ability of biochar to attract and store water (moisture), nutrients (including nitrogen and phosphorus), and agrochemicals for your cannabis clones. Biochar has a porous structure that enables it to soak up and keep water within the soil, and also absorb a much larger number of nutrients than it would have if it did not have any pores.

How Does Biochar Help Clones Grow?

5. Rebuilds Eroded Soil

Biochar is also great for rebuilding soil that has been eroded. Industrial agriculture can be pretty hard on soil. When you frequently grow cannabis clones in the same soil, nutrients may get depleted and the diversity and quantity of microorganisms that help keep the soil fertile may decrease. If you apply biochar to such a weed cloning field, it will help to bring nutrients, microorganisms, and water back to the land! Beyond feeding the soil, biochar also helps to prevent runoffs!

6. Increases Yield

Many studies have revealed that cannabis can increase crop yields up to four times!

7. An Easy-to-Produce & Effective Soil Improver

The benefits of biochar go pretty far. It is one of the easiest soil improvers to produce and also happens to be one of the most cost-effective soil improvers. If you want to grow cannabis in the soil that is struggling due to drought, you might want to consider adding biochar to it for better yield. Plus, adding it to your cannabis garden can create a stronger and healthier grow far more efficiently.

Quick & Easy Way to Make Biochar for Better Clone Growth

Use snags. In forestry lingo, a snag is a standing tree that is dead or dying. Snags are great for kilns (for pyrolysis) thanks to the organic material found within them. Snags are also one of the biggest contributors to forest fires. Essentially, if you use snags to create biochar, you are helping to reduce forest fires. Another quick method to create biochar is the pyrolysis of bamboo.

Summary

• A large surface area of biochars provides a home for beneficial fungi and bacteria, which can help clones take up nutrients more efficiently
• Biochar can attract and retain water and nutrients to help clones stay healthy and productive
• Biochar can help to rebuild eroded soil, which can provide a more nutrient-rich and stable environment for clones to grow in.

FAQs

Charcoal vs Activated Charcoal – Which Is Better?

Biochar and activated carbon both are carbon-rich solids, but they differ in their surface area. That is, the surface area of activated charcoal is greater than that of biochar, so it can capture a larger quantity of molecules. However, biochar is much easier to deal with. So, biochar is a better choice for growing vegetative cuttings of marijana plant.

How does biochar help plant growth?

It helps plant growth by decreasing soil acidity and increasing soil fertility.

What is the purpose of adding biochar?

The purpose of adding biochar to the cannabis field is to reduce soil density and hardening, increase soil’s cation-exchange capacity and aeration, and change its physical and chemical properties for better clone growth. Plus it can help reclaim degraded or eroded soils.

How does biochar help soil enhancement?

Biochar improves soil fertility by adding nutrients (and micronutrients) to soil (such as C, K, Mg, and P) and retaining them from other sources including soil itself.

What is the result of using biochar when planting clones?

Biochar is a soil amendment that can increase the availability of nutrients (C, N, Mg, Ca, P, and K) to clones. Plus it absorbs and slowly releases fertilizers. Biochar can also help to prevent fertilizer drainage and leaching, reducing agricultural pollution.

Need Help?

If you have any other questions regarding soils for clone cultivation, or you just want to speak with us about the healthy, high-yield marijuana clones, get in touch here at Big Daddy Clones! We are a phone call away at  877-262-6192.