New plantings and prep for your garden soil

Apply to ~10% of the soil with biochar. Mix well into the soil. You will see improved results if you combine it with natural soil mixes or compost.

1 cu/ft box is appropriate for an 8'x4' garden mixed into the top 4 inches.

Existing lawns, shrubs, trees and gardens

You can spread over the ground and rake it in thoroughly.

1 cu/ft box = ~375 sq/ft

*Reapply each year for a few years to get the intended overall volume of biochar into the soil.

An alternative would be to apply a 50/50 mix of biochar and organic compost to the planting area. This new mix will work its way into the existing soil.

Biochar is not intended to be used solely as a soil substitute.

It is recommended that the top 4"-6" of your raised bed garden is mixed with the Wakefield Biochar Soil Conditioner. A good estimate is that biochar makes up about 10% of the soil that is used for planting. The remaining depth of your raised bed should continue with compost and topsoil amendments.

If the top 4 inches of your 4' x 8' raised bed garden needs to be mixed with biochar we recommend one cubic foot box.

Here's the math:
Top 4" of a 4'x8' raised bed: 10 2/3 cubic feet of soil
10% of the soil should be biochar: 1.1 cubic feet of biochar
1 cu/ft box of Wakefield Biochar = a good mix for top 4" of  raised bed garden

For seeding trays and pots the Biochar Soil Conditioner is designed to provide the best possible growing conditions for your seeds. Mix with the compost or potting mix in your pot. Potting mix amended with biochar increases aeration and the water that is available to the roots of your plants.

For existing lawns it is best used after aerating your lawn. You really need to get this stuff into the soil... might want to rake it in and then water generously. For new lawns, mix the Biochar Soil Conditioner into the top 4-6" of soil and then apply grass seed. Based on tests through the University of Missouri, a 5% mix into the soil down to the root zone can be optimal. Gently rake and turn the seed into the soil so it is well covered. Watering and additional coverage with straw is best determined by your grass seed provider's instructions for best results.

Trees
Use in the area around the tree's root zone as best as possible. For seedlings you will want to consider the area the roots will grow into and for trees planted with the burlap bag and ball of roots make your hole considerably larger than the ball and fill with the mix.

One box is best for 30-40 sq/ft of gardening mixed into the top 4"-6" deep. A good guideline is to make the biochar equal ~10% of the total soil content in the area of application. Consider using a bag in any of these projects:

• 4’x8’ raised bed - Mix into the top 4" of soil.
• Flower beds and bushes around the house
• Patching the lawn that needs reseeding
• Apply to the root area of a tree that you want to plant in the yard
• Add to existing compost pile to speed up the  composting process and reduce odors. It  is an amazing filter!

Biochar may look like charcoal but don't start dumping your fireplace ashes into your garden. The way it is manufactured creates a high carbon level and it is incredibly porous. All of those pours help retain water and provide a cozy home for micro-organisms to grow and survive off of the nutrients in the soil. Their interactions are a natural way to get nitrogen and other important elements back into the roots. As the bacteria thrive so does the natural processes that make your plants grow. Studies have also shown that the benefits of biochar also include reducing the possibility of disease in your soil.

When we talk about "Wakefield" the conversation quickly becomes about our customers. Wakefield Biochar as a company has the same ideals as you most likely subscribe. Essentially, Wakefield products are for someone who cares about the world and the people that make it great -- we mean that sincerely. Wakefield is a company with a pure love for growing great gardens, tending beautiful yards and making the world a better place. The whole concept of Better Soil. Better Garden. Better World. is directly in line with Wakefield's sensibility.

So, maybe you have a little bit of that 'Wakefield' swagger in you, too. Do you want to have a great garden and do you wish you could do just a little more for our environment? Do you love to watch the tomatoes grow on the vine and do you love to see the flowers bloom in the spring? Maybe the idea of "carbon sequestration" seems like a deep dive back into a high school science class you wish you could forget but you understand the basics of it -- put biochar into the soil so we don't put carbon dioxide into the air. It's a win/win situation. Your backyard is gorgeous and your children's children's backyard gets a fighting chance, too. If what we just described matches you even a little bit then you definitely have that swagger.

Biochar is the ultimate Think Globally. Act Locally. movement. Please join us by finding the Wakefield inside of you.