How to make biochar at home
You can make biochar at home using waste wood chip and garden cuttings. Using our biochar kiln is easy and safe. It takes one hour to make biochar in our smokeless kiln which doubles up as a BBQ!
Modular design.
Built to last.
Durable steel parts
No plastics or paints
Made in the UK
Clean burn technology
5 year warranty
Click on each picture to watch the kiln in action
Made in the UK.
Free shipping in UK, EU, USA & CA.
1 hour process time
High quality biochar
Bakes wood 600-800 ℃
The biochar effect
Used worldwide to create fertile soils for healthy plants. Originating from the Amazon rainforest, studied for decades by researchers, and adopted by growers with an interest in boosting soil microbial health.
Load it, light it, leave it.
Biochar can be made from wood chip, cuttings, and evenly sized twigs or logs. Designed for the garden. Easy to use, compact and durable.
Made in the UK
Shipped & loved worldwide
Enjoy making biochar at home
One batch of biochar takes one hour. In this time you can cook up a feast using the BBQ attachment.
Clean burn technology
Using top-lit updraft technology our kiln will not billow smoke, and instead you will see a gas ring effect.
Purchase a kiln today, make biochar tomorrow
Clean burning biochar kiln and BBQ
Kit includes: biochar kiln, heat-proof gloves, eco-firelighters, BBQ grill stand, instruction manual
Made in the UK, by hand. Shipped worldwide, rates shown at checkout
Designed for gardeners and growers
Inner burn chamber is made from stainless steel. Durable and long-lasting
Outer burn chamber comes in two materials: stainless steel (silver) or corten steel (rustic)
Easy to use, for beginners
Top-lit updraft technology to prevent smoke and provide a clean burn
Efficient process time of one hour to turn woodchip into biochar
DURABLE
CENTERPIECE
MADE IN UK
PRICE, SHIPPING & RETURNS
PRICE
VAT INC.
LIFESPAN
OUTER MATERIAL
FREE RETURNS
FREE SHIPPING
SILVER
£797
10 YEARS
STAINLESS STEEL
30 days
UK, EU, USA & CA
RUSTIC
£797
10 YEARS
CORTEN STEEL
30 days
UK, EU, USA & CA
COMPLETE YOUR ORDER
If you change your soil, you can change everything
Everything—from how we treat the planet, to how we produce food, to how we treat ourselves—starts from our soil. We give you permission to try something dating back to 450BC, biochar.
A 100,000 strong population in the Amazon Basin in Brazil were composting and burning their waste in large dug out pits. The cycle of burying and burning their organic waste over time resulted in rich fertile soil, called Terra Preta. The discovery of this soil by ecologists in the 1980s has developed into a field of research aiming to uncover the history, properties and applications of Terra Preta.
Everything—from how we treat the planet, to how we produce food, to how we treat ourselves—starts from our soil. We give you permission to try something dating back to 450BC, biochar.
A 100,000 strong population in the Amazon Basin in Brazil were composting and charring their waste in large dug out pits. The cycle of burying and charring their organic waste over time resulted in rich fertile soil, called Terra Preta. The discovery of this soil by ecologists in the 1980s has developed into a field of research aiming to uncover the history, properties and applications of Terra Preta, known in the UK as biochar.
Charles Dowding makes biochar in our smokeless kiln
Watch Connor, our co-founder, and Charles Dowding make biochar in our smokeless kiln.
Firstly, I should say I am loving the ability to make biochar and so speedily.
Firstly I should say that I am loving having the ability to make biochar and so speedily. I used the product of my first firing to prep an area of soil to plant up some sprouts for Christmas. That was a few weeks ago now and the plants have become scarily huge and triffid-like and trying now to break out of their butterfly netting. I put this down to a magic mix of my home made compost mixed with biochar! A big plus for biochar I feel.
— Fern, Somerset
Firstly I should say that I am loving having the ability to make biochar and so speedily. I used the product of my first firing to prep an area of soil to plant up some sprouts for Christmas. That was a few weeks ago now and the plants have become scarily huge and triffid-like and trying now to break out of their butterfly netting. I put this down to a magic mix of my home made compost mixed with biochar! A big plus for biochar I feel.
— Fern, Somerset
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Ask us anything
01
What is biochar?
Biochar (pronounced bio - char), is organic material – wood chip, garden trimmings – that has been heated at high temperatures in the presence of little to no oxygen. It can be used as horticultural charcoal or charcoal for gardening to improve soil fertility and plant health. In addition, biochar sequesters carbon.
02
How do I use biochar?
Simply mix biochar into your compost/potting mix to make up 10% in volume. This means 1 part biochar to 9 parts soil. The easiest way to use biochar is to add it to your home composting system, this way the biochar will be mixed in to your compost when you go to use it. Plus it will have absorbed all the nutrients and microbial activity from your compost, ready for planting!
03
How does it work?
Biochar has a vast surface area and porous properties. These pores make it better at retaining water and nutrients than standard charcoal. The result is an increase in microbial activity in your soil, and more available nutrients and water for your plants. Think of biochar like a sponge holding onto all the good stuff in your soil. Reducing nutrient run-off and increasing drought tolerance.
To get the best out of biochar, it should be mixed with nutrients and microbes - a process known as charging, inoculating or activating.
04
Where are your products made?
Earthly Biochar products are made in the UK.
05
What is it made from?
Our biochar is made from wood which was destined for landfill or incineration and is 100% natural, free from chemicals or toxins.
06
How much do I need to use?
Biochar works best when added to soil at a rate of 10% by volume. Use 1 part biochar to 9 parts soil.
07
What is carbon sequestration?
When you buy biochar, you are preventing CO2 from entering the atmosphere. This is because if the biomass was left to decay or incinerated, all the carbon atoms present in the biomass would return to the air as CO2.
When we make biochar, we use half of the carbon atoms to generate carbon neutral electricity. This powers the biochar production. The other half of the carbon atoms make up the molecular structure of biochar itself, where they will remain for 100s of years.
For every tonne of biochar we make, we are preventing 2.5 tonnes of CO2 from being released into the environment. When you buy a bag of biochar, you will be actively helping to mitigate climate change by capturing carbon in your soils. Our production process has undergone an independent lifecycle assessment (LCA) to fully quantify the carbon footprint of our operations.
08
Do you offer samples?
At the moment, we do not. Our product is proven and we believe that you will not regret ordering it to try for yourself. We do offer a 30-day money back guarantee if you aren't happy with our biochar.
09
Do you sell large quantities in bulk?
We sure do. We work with large gardens, land owners and farms. If you would like to get a no-obligation quote for large biochar quantities, please contact us using our online form.
10
Is biochar safe for growing edible fruit and vegetables?
Yes it is safe. Our biochar is made to the European standard for agriculture. We pride ourselves on the quality of our biochar, putting quality control and due diligence at the top of our priority list. Buyers beware, there are biochar companies selling biochar made from construction waste which will contain heavy metals and other toxic compounds which is not safe for your soil. Make sure anyone selling you biochar has undergone strict testing, preferably to the European Biochar Certificate standards.
