Why Biochar Is the Secret Ingredient for Your Lawn This Fall
When it comes to achieving a lush, healthy lawn, many homeowners focus primarily on fertilizers, regular watering, and pest control. While these are essential practices, they often overlook the foundation of lawn health: the soil. Poor soil quality can lead to a host of lawn problems, from weak root systems to increased susceptibility to pests and diseases. Fortunately, there is a solution that can dramatically improve soil health while providing long-term benefits to your lawn — biochar.
In this guide, we’ll explain what biochar is, how it benefits soil and lawn health, and why fall is the best time to integrate it into your lawn care routine. We’ll also cover the steps for applying biochar effectively and answer some common questions you might have.
What Is Biochar?
Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by heating organic matter — such as wood chips, leaves, or agricultural waste — in a low-oxygen environment through a process known as pyrolysis. Unlike typical charcoal, which is created primarily for fuel, biochar is specially made for use as a soil amendment. The resulting product has a highly porous structure and a large surface area, which makes it incredibly effective at retaining water and nutrients and housing beneficial soil microbes.
Biochar has been used for thousands of years in agricultural settings. In the Amazon basin, ancient civilizations created highly fertile “terra preta” soils by mixing charcoal with plant matter and animal bones. These soils have maintained their fertility for centuries, showcasing the long-lasting benefits of biochar. Today, biochar is gaining recognition as a powerful tool for improving soil health, enhancing plant growth, and contributing to environmental sustainability.
Related: Fall Lawn Care Checklist
Why Biochar Is Beneficial for Lawn Health
1. Improving Soil Structure
One of the primary benefits of biochar is its ability to improve soil structure. The porous nature of biochar allows it to create tiny air pockets within the soil, which enhances aeration and water infiltration. This is particularly beneficial for compacted or heavy clay soils that tend to drain poorly and restrict root growth. By improving soil structure, biochar helps develop a healthier root system, making your lawn more resilient to stress and environmental challenges.
For sandy soils, biochar helps increase water retention. Sandy soils typically drain water too quickly, which can deprive grass roots of the moisture they need to thrive. By incorporating biochar, the soil can retain water longer, reducing the need for frequent watering and helping the lawn maintain consistent hydration.
2. Enhancing Nutrient Retention
Another key benefit of biochar is its ability to retain nutrients. Many fertilizers and soil amendments can quickly leach out of the soil due to rain or overwatering. Biochar, with its high surface area and charged particles, acts like a sponge that captures essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It prevents these nutrients from washing away and makes them more readily available to plant roots over a longer period of time.
By holding onto nutrients, biochar can reduce the frequency of fertilizer applications and increase the efficiency of nutrient uptake. This is particularly beneficial during the fall when homeowners often apply fertilizers to prepare their lawns for winter dormancy.
3. Promoting Beneficial Microbes
Healthy soil is teeming with life, and biochar provides an ideal habitat for beneficial microbes such as bacteria and fungi. These microbes play a critical role in breaking down organic matter, releasing nutrients, and promoting root health. The porous structure of biochar creates countless tiny pockets where these microorganisms can thrive, resulting in a more robust soil ecosystem.
By promoting beneficial microbes, biochar can help suppress soil-borne diseases, enhance nutrient cycling, and improve overall soil fertility. This microbial activity is especially important in the fall as lawns begin to slow their growth and shift energy to root development.
4. Carbon Sequestration
Beyond its immediate benefits for lawn health, biochar also offers significant environmental advantages. Because biochar is a stable form of carbon, it can remain in the soil for hundreds to thousands of years without breaking down. This means that biochar effectively sequesters carbon, helping to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
By incorporating biochar into your lawn care routine, you’re taking a big step towards improving your lawn’s health.
Related: Lawn Biostimulants for Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care
Why Fall Is a Great Time to Apply Biochar
While biochar can be beneficial when applied at any time of the year, fall is an especially ideal season to introduce it into your lawn. Here’s why:
1. Preparing the Lawn for Winter Dormancy
During the fall, your lawn is in a transitional phase. The cooler temperatures and reduced growth rates allow the grass to focus more on root development rather than top growth. Applying biochar at this time helps improve soil conditions, providing a strong foundation for root growth and overall lawn health.
By improving soil aeration and nutrient availability, biochar ensures that your lawn has everything it needs to enter dormancy in a healthy state and emerge strong and vibrant in the spring.
2. Combining with Fall Fertilizers and Soil Amendments
Fall is typically the season when homeowners apply fertilizers, lime, or compost to prepare their lawns for winter. Biochar works synergistically with these amendments, enhancing their effectiveness. When applied with fertilizers, biochar can help retain the nutrients in the soil, reducing leaching and ensuring that they remain available to plants.
For example, if you apply a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer in the fall, biochar can hold onto the nitrogen, preventing it from being washed away during winter. This means more of the nitrogen will be available to your lawn when it starts actively growing again in the spring.
3. Minimizing Leaching and Runoff
Fall often brings increased rainfall, which can lead to nutrient leaching and runoff. Biochar’s ability to retain water and nutrients helps mitigate these issues, ensuring that more of your soil amendments stay in place rather than being washed away. This is particularly important if you live in an area with heavy fall rains or fluctuating temperatures.
Related: The Best Lawn Fertilizers to Use This Fall
How to Apply Biochar to Your Lawn
Now that you understand the benefits of biochar and why fall is the best time to use it, let’s look at how to apply it to your lawn effectively.
Step 1: Determine the Right Amount
The amount of biochar you need will depend on the size of your lawn and the current soil conditions. As a general guideline, aim to apply 1 to 2 pounds of biochar per 100 square feet of lawn. If your soil is heavily compacted or poor in nutrients, consider using a higher rate.
It’s also a good idea to conduct a soil test before applying biochar. This will give you a baseline understanding of your soil’s pH, nutrient levels, and organic matter content, helping you tailor the application to your lawn’s specific needs.
Step 2: Mixing with Other Amendments
Biochar can be mixed with compost, fertilizers, or other soil amendments to create a nutrient-rich top dressing for your lawn. Mixing biochar with compost is particularly effective, as the compost provides additional nutrients and organic matter, while the biochar improves nutrient retention and microbial activity.
If you’re applying fertilizers in the fall, consider incorporating biochar into the same application to boost nutrient availability and reduce leaching.
Step 3: Application Techniques
To apply biochar evenly across your lawn, you can use a broadcast spreader or rake or apply it by hand if working with smaller areas. Spread the biochar evenly over the soil surface, aiming for a thin, uniform layer.
After spreading the biochar, use a rake to lightly incorporate it into the top 1 to 2 inches of soil. This will help the biochar integrate with the soil, improving its effectiveness and reducing the likelihood of it being washed away by rain.
Step 4: Watering and Incorporation
Once the biochar is applied, water the lawn thoroughly. This helps the biochar settle into the soil and activates the beneficial microbes. Watering also aids in the breakdown of any remaining organic material within the biochar, making more nutrients available to the lawn.
If you’ve applied biochar mixed with fertilizers or biostimulants, watering ensures that these nutrients are absorbed into the soil, further enhancing the overall health of your lawn.
Related: How to Top Dress Your Lawn: The Complete Guide
Our Top Recommended Products Containing Biochar
Mirimichi Green's CarbonizPN-G™ and CarbonizPN™ are two innovative lawn care products that incorporate biochar to enhance soil health and plant growth.
CarbonizPN-G™
CarbonizPN-G™ is a granular soil amendment product designed for residential and commercial landscapes. It consists of a blend of organic ingredients like composted manure, humates, and biochar. This combination helps improve soil structure, increase microbial activity, and provide a stable environment for beneficial soil organisms.
The biochar component in CarbonizPN-G™ acts as a reservoir for water and nutrients, improving the soil’s ability to retain these essential elements. This means better root development, improved drought tolerance, and more efficient use of fertilizers.
If you need larger quantities, check out our CarbonizPN-G™ 2000 Lb super sack!
CarbonizPN™
CarbonizPN™ is a soil enhancer specifically formulated to optimize soil efficiency and plant health. It contains a blend of premium organics and USDA Certified Biobased Carbon (biochar), which remains in the soil to increase fertility and water absorption while decreasing nutrient leaching.
The product also aerates soils, reduces compaction, and creates a healthy biological rhizome. Biochar in CarbonizPN™ provides a long-lasting home for beneficial soil microbes, enhances nutrient uptake, and contributes to the overall health of the lawn by improving soil structure and pH balance.
To top dress a large lawn, our CarbonizPN™ 2000 Lb Super Sack is the equivalent of 50 bags.
How Biochar Is Used in These Products
In both CarbonizPN-G™ and CarbonizPN™, biochar is a key component that acts as a soil conditioner. It increases the soil’s cation exchange capacity (CEC), which boosts its ability to hold nutrients and make them available to plants. This reduces the need for additional chemical inputs, making the lawn care process more sustainable.
Furthermore, biochar's porous structure helps retain water, making it particularly useful in sandy soils or drought-prone areas. This attribute makes both products ideal for improving soil health and plant growth efficiency, especially during the fall season when lawns are preparing for winter dormancy.
These products are designed to integrate easily into existing lawn care routines, providing a long-term solution to common soil health issues. For best results, they can be applied as top dressings or incorporated into the soil during fall overseeding or aeration practices, ensuring the lawn is set up for strong growth in the following spring.
Related: Can You Put Compost on Your Lawn?
Frequently Asked Questions about Biochar
Will biochar change my soil’s pH?
Biochar typically has a neutral to slightly alkaline pH, depending on the material it was made from. In most cases, biochar will not significantly alter your soil’s pH. However, if your soil is already very alkaline, it’s a good idea to use biochar with caution or choose a biochar that is specifically designed for alkaline soils.
Can I use biochar on all types of grass?
Yes, biochar is beneficial for all types of grass, including cool-season and warm-season varieties. However, certain grasses, like those that prefer acidic conditions (e.g., Centipede grass), may require a lower application rate of biochar. Always consider your grass type and soil conditions when deciding on the amount of biochar to apply.
How long will biochar last in the soil?
Biochar is incredibly stable and can remain in the soil for hundreds to thousands of years. Unlike other organic amendments that decompose over time, biochar provides long-term benefits to your lawn. This means that once you apply biochar, you won’t need to reapply it frequently — making it a cost-effective investment in your lawn’s health.
Char Up Your Lawn's Potential
Incorporating biochar into your fall lawn care routine can have transformative effects on your soil and lawn health. By improving soil structure, enhancing nutrient retention, and supporting beneficial microbes, biochar sets your lawn up for long-term success. With its ability to sequester carbon and contribute to environmental sustainability, biochar is a choice that benefits both your lawn and the planet.
Explore our range of biochar products, fertilizers, and other soil health enhancers in our store, and see the difference for yourself. A healthier, more resilient lawn awaits you next spring!