Why Adding Carbon Does Not Work Like They Say

Soil organic matter lawn care, biochar lawn benefits, and how to increase soil organic matter are some of the most searched lawn care topics right now. Biochar vs compost, adding carbon to soil, and lawn soil health are widely discussed—but often misunderstood. In this video, I break down the real science behind soil organic matter and biochar in lawn care. After nearly 40 years in turfgrass management and an agronomy background from North Carolina State University, I wanted to cut through the marketing around “adding carbon” and explain what’s actually happening in your soil. You’ll learn how much organic matter it really takes to increase soil organic matter by 1%, based on university data from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Minnesota Extension, and Washington State University. Then consider organic matter and biochar as part of a long-term system—not a quick fix. Where to get a soil test in your state. https://bloomagrows.com/blog/soil-tes... Wetting Agent H2O Maximizer Glempers Has H2O Maximizer for $97 https://gemplers.com/products/underhi... North South Supply Has H2O Maximizer for $125 https://www.northsouth.net/1100784/pr... R & R Products $116 https://www.rrproducts.com/underhill-... PUBLICATIONS CITED Golf Coures Management Publication on Wetting Agents "Wetting agents: Differences and implications for best use" May 2020 | Xi Xiong, Ph.D., and Stephen H. Anderson, Ph.D. https://gcmonline.com/course/environm... USGA PUTTING GREEN CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga... Putting Numbers to the Difficult Task of Increasing Soil Organic Matter November 7, 2023 By Andrew McGuire, CSANR Senior Extension Fellow https://csanr.wsu.edu/putting-numbers... Long-term effects of adding biochar to soils on organic matter content, persistent carbon storage, and moisture content in Karagwe, Tanzania (2024) Baraka Ernest, Pius Z. Yanda, Anders Hansson & Mathias Fridahl https://www.nature.com/articles/s4159... NRCS Soil Health Publications https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservatio... University of Minnesota Soil organic matter in cropping systems (2019) Caley Gasch, soil scientist, North Dakota State University and Jodi DeJong-Hughes, Extension educator https://extension.umn.edu/soil-manage... American Biochar Company https://ambiochar.com/biochar-and-soi... 00:00-01:14 Soil Organic Matter Lawn Care Biochar Introduction 01:14-02:44 Adding Carbon to Soil Marketing vs Reality 02:44-03:59 Organic Matter vs Biochar Lawn Explanation 03:59-05:01 Soil Organic Matter Calculation 6 Inch Depth 05:01-05:54 Increase Soil Organic Matter Per 1000 Sq Ft 05:54-06:28 Turfgrass Soil 2 Inch vs 6 Inch Comparison 06:28-06:58 Cost of Compost and Organic Matter Lawn 06:58-07:47 Biochar Lawn Benefits and Application Rates 07:47-08:41 Biochar pH and CEC Soil Effects 08:41-09:23 Biochar Mixing Compost and Nutrient Charging 09:23-10:04 Biochar Marketing vs Lawn Care Reality 10:04-10:32 Lawn Fertility Basics Soil Test NPK 10:32-11:30 Water Holding Capacity Wetting Agents Lawn 11:30-12:14 Organic Fertilizer Lawn Results Golf Course 12:14-12:56 Biochar Herbicide Interaction Lawn Care 12:56-13:24 Lawn Soil Organic Matter Summary Takeaways 13:24-14:52 Biochar Expectations Long Term Lawn Care #organic #biochar #lawncare