anybody tried biochar in the garden?

[brdmkr]

Our garden is coming along, but we are really having to pump the water and fertilize to it.  Our soils are super sandy.  I plan on trying to build up the soil with manure and compost.  I may even plant some winter clover for a 'green manure'.  I have also been reading about biochar and have been considering trying to make some.  I read where some have used hardwood sawdust to make biochar.  If that is the case, it would be a really good use of the sawdust.  I am afraid that if I used chunks of wood, I might be tempted to use the charcoal for cooking instead of putting it the garden.  I am sure I could not use it all, but I have a way of giving 'neat things'  like lump charcoal away to friends.

[Norm]

What you are after is the carbon and yes we use it on our fields as an additive to the liquid fertilizer. I am a big fan of micro-nutrients and biologic additives. 

[Taylortractornut]

Im making it with a pyrolysis  set up a tin pail inside a  55 gallon drum.    I did a 55 gallon drum full of dried alder blocks  turned upside down    and the outside heated with a bonfire.   Mase some great lump charcoals  for  biochars.