[Belfast]

Has anyone here tried Charcoal as a soil improver

I believe the Indians in the Pre-Columbian in the Amazon use it to improve the sandy soil there.
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Biochar

I have heard that it is now being used in America again in recently.

[Liparis]

I use it with some orchid plants for two reasons. The first being that many orchids will repopulate scrub and trees after slash and burn, showing a preference for trees scorched to charcoal. Secondly, I use it in some of the compost mixes I use for the few plants I grow in pots. It has the same virtues as when used in people. An example might be someone who takes a drug overdose will be given powdered charcoal in water to absorb the poisons. Charcoal draws out toxins etc so it's very useful for keeping compost sweet in plants that have to grow unindusturbed in the same compost and pot for a few years.
Bill.

[johno]

That's a very informative link. Thanks for posting it. If you don't mind, I'll pass it on to my gardening friends in America. We've been studying and debating how to re-create Terra Preta.

[Ciarandebuitlear]

Monty did a large section of one of the programs in "Around the World in 80 Gardens" on Tera Preta. it sounds like remarkable stuff that is even able to "grow" more of itself. Let us know how you get on.