Please research it, you guys. It is what made the Amazon so rich with life. If it checks out, please do what you can to tell people about it.
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I read about it. It's also said that the actual amazon soil is quite poor in nutrients, and the Terra Preta was actually created by the natives burying animal and vegetal remains in certain areas for centuries. Think of it not as ultra fertile soil, but as a giant long-term composting mound.
A good way to put it. The magic is in the biochar they intentionally added. Further, they added terra cotta intentionally as well to leech minerals. It's brilliant. I'm trying to turn beach sand into decent soil with this method and it's working. Basically chop and drop. Rarely do things make it to the compost bin. Mulch for the plants comes from the plants.
Will it work just anywhere like that. I dont know alot about soil
I do a little gardening here in east Tennessee and our seasons are VERY un-Amazon like. Hot summers, mild winters here, but nearly constant hot and humid (and rainy) weather in the Amazon basin. So I suspect that the artificial soil that was created in the Amazon might take a lot longer to create here in the States, with the exception of the tropical areas of Florida. Still, if you have the time and resources, it might be worth a shot.
See my response to u/Slechta5614 concerning Hügelkultur --> Terra Preta. I am in Florida and this method is magical to make sand viable - especially plants that don't mind growing in sand.
I will, thanks.
Look into the Hügelkultur: the mound method for home gardeners. It's basically mounding a bunch of yard waste, logs, mulch or whatever and covering it with soil and compost. Eventually it becomes compost and when you turn over your garden soil it's fertile. For Terra Preta, you can add biochar and terracotta shards to do as the Amazons did. If you are in a location where you can have a fire, you can make the biochar. Nurseries, Home Depot and Lowes will always have pottery shards if you ask. You might have to dig in a garbage can, but it's free.
it's unbelievable how much organic mulch you can have from a small yard until you start to use it. Grass clippings makes compost HOT and fast. It's amazing if you know what you're doing sorta. Check out David The Good Survival Gardening on YouTube. He is most definitely a Pede and a brilliant botanist.
I'm trying to turn beach sand into fertile soil with the method.