Bioactivated charcoal — called biochar — is the new darling of organic gardeners, embraced for its outstanding abilities to enrich the soil and improve plant growth. Gardening with Biochar is the first comprehensive guide to understanding, making, and using it effectively in the home garden.

In this highly accessible handbook, long-time garden writer Jeff Cox explains what biochar is and provides detailed instructions for how it can be made from wood or other kinds of plant material, along with specific guidelines for using it to enrich soil, prevent erosion, and enhance plant growth. Now widely available at garden centers, biochar is also being lauded for its ability to sequester carbon in the soil, making it good for the health of the planet as well as the plants.

“Biochar has been in the news a lot of late, so why isn’t it in your garden? That may be the question you ask yourself as you start Gardening with Biochar. It won't be a question you ask again. Jeff Cox not only makes the science of biochar accessible, he makes it downright compelling. Buy it, or make it (Jeff shows you how easy it is), you will be using biochar in your gardens after this read.” — Jeff Lowenfels, author of Teaming With Microbes, Teaming With Nutrients, and Teaming With Fungi