Estimate biochar yield, dial in application rates for your soil, and calculate how much carbon you'll lock away — built for BC feedstocks and Vancouver Island conditions.
Biochar is charcoal produced by pyrolysis — heating organic material at 300–700°C with little or no oxygen. It is not a fertilizer, but a habitat and carrier for soil biology, nutrients, and water. Its highly porous carbon structure persists in soil for hundreds to thousands of years, making it one of the few genuinely carbon-negative practices available to land managers.
On Vancouver Island, biochar is particularly valuable. Coastal BC soils are often glaciofluvial sands or disturbed and compacted ground, leached hard by 1,000–2,000 mm of annual rainfall. Biochar holds water and nutrients in the root zone where plants can access them instead of watching them wash through. And Vancouver Island has an abundance of the raw material — Douglas fir slash, red alder encroachment, storm debris, orchard prunings — currently being open-burned or left to slowly decompose. Converting that biomass to biochar captures what would have been emitted and turns a liability into a permanent soil asset.
The three calculators below cover the full loop: how much biochar your feedstock will produce, how much you need for a given area, and what that means for the atmosphere. All yield ratios and carbon fractions are calibrated to BC feedstock species. Results are estimates — actual yield depends on moisture content, kiln temperature, residence time, and operator technique. Use these numbers for planning; refine them with your first burn.
Enter your feedstock details to estimate how much biochar you'll produce, its volume, and the carbon sequestered per burn.
Based on dry-weight yield ratio adjusted for feedstock moisture and kiln method.
These results assume your feedstock moisture is as entered. Green or freshly cut wood at 40–60% moisture will produce significantly less biochar than air-dry wood. Pre-dry your feedstock for 6–12 months for best results, or expect 30–50% lower yield from wet material.
Determine how much biochar your site needs based on area, soil type, and intended use. Always charge biochar before applying.
Rates are based on soil type, intended use, and Vancouver Island conditions.
Mix 1:1 with finished compost by volume, or soak in compost tea for 24–48 hours. Raw biochar can temporarily lock up nitrogen in the soil as it adsorbs nutrients into its pores. Charged biochar — sometimes called biocarbon — starts working immediately rather than borrowing from your soil first.
Calculate how much CO2-equivalent your biochar production removes from the atmosphere — permanently. Includes net figures after production emissions.
Based on IBI methodology: stable carbon fraction × 0.85 stability factor × 3.67 CO2/C ratio.
We bring the kiln to your property, process your slash, and apply the biochar where it's needed most.
Book a Site Visit