Biochar comparisons
The three things people most often compare biochar to — compost, activated charcoal, and the perlite/vermiculite pair. We treat each as complementary where it is, and call out the cases where one tool genuinely is the right one.
Biochar vs compost
Compost cycles fast and feeds plants. Biochar cycles slowly and builds structure. Most beds end up with both.
Read the comparison → ComparisonBiochar vs activated charcoal
Both are pyrolyzed carbon, but they are produced for different jobs. One belongs in a fish tank. The other belongs in soil.
Read the comparison → ComparisonBiochar vs perlite and vermiculite
Perlite and vermiculite open a soil up for a season or two. Biochar opens it up and stays — and adds cation exchange.
Read the comparison →Why we publish these
Biochar is genuinely useful in some situations and overkill in others. We would rather be clear about that than win a sale on a misframed comparison. Where another amendment is the better tool, we say so. Where biochar earns its place, the evidence is in the research library.