How Horticultural and Activated Charcoal Can Help Your Garden

Gardeners are often looking for different amendments to add to their soil to keep their plants happy. One thing that has been used for centuries is charcoal.

Horticultural charcoal is a popular option and has many benefits. Activated charcoal, on the other hand, is used not only for gardens but for humans, too.

There is a lot of information circulating these days regarding the health benefits of activated charcoal for human use.

Both horticultural and activated charcoal have benefits for soil and plant health. Activated charcoal, however, might have an extra benefit that gives it the edge over horticultural charcoal.

Read on to find out how these different types of charcoal might benefit your garden.

What Exactly is Horticultural Charcoal and How Can It Help My Garden?

Horticultural charcoal is inactive charcoal that is unprocessed. It is made from hydrolyzed wood that is burned at a low temperature.

It can improve the general condition of plants and help to stimulate growth by giving the roots the space they need to expand. It is also thought to help fight fungal infections in soil.

Horticultural charcoal is very soft to the touch but does not have the same porousness as activated charcoal. It still can, however, bind to many microorganisms allowing them to live on its surface.

Horticultural charcoal acts as a substrate in the soil providing drainage and aeration.

The only drawback is that horticultural charcoal makes the soil on the alkaline side. This is great for alkaline-loving plants, but for those that prefer a more neutral or acidic soil, this might not be for them.

What Exactly is Activated Charcoal and How Can It Help My Garden?

Source: Doctor ER/YouTube

More commonly known for its use in the ER room or in the home bathroom, activated charcoal is also a great addition to the home garden.

Activated charcoal is charcoal that has been heated at very high temperatures with oxygen. The result is charcoal which is extremely porous and has a very large surface area.

It is used by medical professionals in some cases of poisoning because when ingested, activated charcoal has the ability to bind to certain toxins in the gut preventing them from being absorbed into the body.

When used in the garden, however, activated charcoal can help to provide drainage, especially in potted plants.

It is very absorbent and can actually absorb fertilizers that you add to the soil and release them back slowly. It is also very effective in reducing acidity in the soil and bringing it closer to a neutral pH.

How Can Activated Charcoal Fix Poisoned Soil?

Source: Charcoal House/YouTube

Just as activated charcoal can help to absorb certain poisons in our bodies (when carried out by medical professionals), it is thought that it can do the same for soils that have been contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals.

If you have moved to a new house and are concerned that your gardens might not have been treated organically, activated charcoal might help to set your mind at rest.

Activated charcoal can absorb 100-200 times its own weight and has the ability to attract organic chemicals such as pesticides. Organic chemicals can bind with the activated charcoal preventing them from continuing to contaminate soil and water sources.

This porous charcoal has a negative electric charge which attracts positively charged molecules such as those found in certain toxins.

Activated charcoal is able to neutralize residual pesticides lurking in the soil. If you think that the soil in your yard has been treated with pesticides or other chemicals in the past, you can help to fix that by using activated charcoal.

First of all, mix one pound of activated charcoal powder with one gallon of water. This is enough for 150 square feet of soil.

If you have a home garden, you can apply the mixture with a watering can. Add it to the soil and stir it into the top six inches of soil. If you have a larger area to work with, you might need to use a sprayer.

In the end, both of these types of charcoal have many benefits for your garden, it really just depends on what you are working with and how sick your soil might be as to which one will better suit your and your garden’s needs.

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