Sunday Afternoon
Note to self: Never, ever decide to process charcoal on the same day you’ve just washed your hair. You’d think I’d learn, but here we are.
I’m currently sitting here smelling like a campfire. I spent the last hour out the back with a bucket. It’s my diy sieve system, pounding away at some charred tree stumps from the paddock. It’s the best charcoal you can get—real, local, and “no-fluff.”
Safety First, though:
I always give the charcoal a light misting with water before I start pounding. It stops the black dust from flying up into my lungs (and my hair!), which is the main risk when you’re working with any dry organic material or farm debris.
Once I got it broken down into a nice grit, it was time for the “Scientific Sterilisation” phase. I put it in a covered glass dish and give it a good zap in the microwave.
Using a lid is a double win—it contains the “essence of toasted stump” so the house stays livable. The lid also creates enough steam to nuke any stubborn Waikato weed seeds or bacteria. While most people worry about nasties in their potting mix, I know mine has been heat-treated to a point where nothing is hitching a ride into my plant tubes!
I leave it to cool completely before opening the dish. No point rushing and getting a face-full of hot carbon steam.
It’s a bit of a process, but between the stump charcoal, and all the other 9 ingredients I add to “my standard Potting Mix”, my plants get a substrate that is clean, hardy, and ready for work.
Alright, I’m heading out to see if I can finally wash any leftover dust from my hair again.
Here is what I put into this particular mix:
- Regular potting mix – This is Mitre 10 Number 8
- Lime
- Worm castings
- Neem granules
- Biochar or similar
- Pumice
- Fern fibre
- Extra slow-release fert
- Charcoal
For some types of plants, I would increase the ratio of some ingredients (eg Cacti – pumice, Aroids – fern fibre).
Tagged: Charcoal, Sterilised-Garden-Charcoal, Potting-Mix, DIY, Home-Made, Kats Flora, Super-Mix, Kiwi-style.
