Understanding Biochar

The broad definition of biochar is a carbon-rich product obtained when organic biomass, (such as manure, leaves, grasses, or in our Black Owl Biochar products, untreated forest debris—wood), is heated to the point of thermal decomposition under a limited or zero supply of oxygen. Physically biochar is charred, but it's different from coal, charcoal or ash, in that it possesses:
- High surface area
- Agricultural and environmental benefits
- High organic carbon
- The ability to offset GHGs

- Improve tilth of soils; creating greater aeration in heavy, complexing sandier soils
- Retain nutrients & water, keeping them from leaching
- Increase cation exchange functions in soil, boosting nutrient availability
- Host microbes & fungi, increasing colonization in root zone, diversifying soil ecosystem
- Act as a catalyst for releasing sorbed water as conditions dictate
- Reduce off-gassing of CH4, NO2 & other GHGs, mitigating escape into atmosphere
- Increase pH & replace some liming requirements of acid soils
- Reduce need for watering, as well-made biochar has great water-holding capacity
- Accelerate the composting process, and help its aeration
- Reduce or eliminate compost odors
- Improve the quality and efficiacy of compost
- Become a "carbon sink"




The International Biochar Initiative classifies biochars according to their organic carbon content as:
Biochar Supreme, LLC's Black Owl Biochars have no less than 70% oragnic carbon and our Environmental Ultra line is 80+% organic carbon. We have worked on the process to achieve this high standard at scale for 3 years. We offer state-of-the-art products. For application suggestions click here. For more information on our growing products, please click here. For more information on our environmental remediation products, please click here.