aquaverde

Just to query some clarification-
I don't know what Black Diamond is, but Diamond Black is lignite, which is one of the ingredients in Fertiplant. I think this is what Shane meant to refer to? Lignite is a form of coal, IIRC.

ShaneSmith

That is what i ment to say thanks

hubbahubbahehe

If lignite is a form of coal, then could you use barbecue coal and smash it up and use as a substrate additive? interesting thought to ponder

Sue

Barbeque stuff is charcoal, half burnt wood and other stuff to get it to burn evenly. I don't think it's a plan.

They do sell bags of charcoal made specifically for adding to potting soils. I think this would be cleaner and less likely to leach weird things.

aquaverde

Haha, well, you might be able to, but I would only consider using activated charcoal, not the stuff from the grill!

The point of my first post was to point out that we are not talking about charcoal, though. Charcoal is wood that has been partially burned/heated in the absence of oxygen- a form of carbon. Lignite/leonardite is what happens to peat that is on its way to becoming coal. Coal is a fossil fuel mined out of the earth, and it is also a form of carbon. Go read here for some more information about lignite:

http://www.glossary.oilfield.slb.com...m?Term=lignite

http://www.agecology.com/products/sh...17f22bfff092ee

Here is a link illustrating the formation of coal and where lignite is in that process:

http://www.athro.com/geo/trp/gub/coal.html

And here to find out about activated charcoal:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question209.htm

Hope that helps.

Edit: Sue, you got in before me!