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Biochar Soil Improver

Transform your soil into a healthy, living ecosystem with this premium-grade, carbon-rich biochar. Specially designed to boost soil fertility, this eco-friendly soil amendment improves plant growth, resilience, and water efficiency.

What’s Inside

  • Made from sustainably sourced Australian nut shells — 100% recycled organic material
  • Grade: 0–9 mm, Size: 3L or 7L
  • Plastic-free packaging in a reusable calico bag

Why It Works

  • Reduces watering needs by holding moisture in the soil
  • Improves soil structure, aeration, and root growth
  • Enhances nutrient retention, pH balance, and soil fertility
  • Supports microbial activity and boosts organic matter
  • Helps reduce carbon in the atmosphere through natural carbon sequestration
  • Strengthens plant resilience against disease, heat, and drought

How to Use

  • Activation: Always activate your biochar before use. Mix with Food2Soil All-Purpose Biofertiliser + Seaweed to inoculate it with billions of beneficial microbes.
  • Application: Blend into soil in veggie patches, garden beds, pots, lawns, or around Australian natives.
  • Frequency: Suitable for year-round use on all soil types, particularly sandy, compacted, or heavy clay soils.
  • For best results: Use with our Biochar Activation Kit.

Sustainability

Food2Soil’s Biochar Soil Improver is made from waste nut shells, helping reduce landfill while sequestering carbon in the soil. Choosing biochar means healthier soil, thriving plants, and a smaller carbon footprint.

Bundle and Value

Available in 3L and 7L sizes. Pair with our Biofertiliser and Soil Health collections, or explore Bundles for combined savings. Browse All Products for more sustainable gardening solutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to activate biochar before using it?
A: Yes. Always activate biochar with a microbial inoculant like our All-Purpose Biofertiliser + Seaweed or use the Biochar Activation Kit.

Q: How does biochar improve soil water retention?
A: Its porous structure holds water like a sponge, reducing watering needs and helping plants survive drought.

Q: What soil types is this best for?
A: Biochar works in all soil types but is especially beneficial in sandy, compacted, or clay soils where it improves structure and fertility.

Q: How is this different from compost?
A: Compost adds nutrients and organic matter, while biochar provides stable carbon, improves nutrient retention, and creates a long-term habitat for microbes. Used together, they are very effective.

Q: How long does biochar last in the soil?
A: Biochar is highly stable and can remain in the soil for decades, continually improving soil health.

Q: Is it safe for pets, wildlife, and pollinators?
A: Yes. Biochar is natural, safe, and chemical-free when used as directed.

Q: How does biochar help the environment?
A: Biochar sequesters carbon, reducing CO₂ in the atmosphere while recycling agricultural by-products into valuable soil amendments.

$36.95 AUD
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

Customer Reviews

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Felix MacNeill
Excellent (as ever)

Yet another top-notch product from Food2Soil!

What is Biochar & how do I use it?

Our guide covers everything you need to know, including correct application rates and benefits for soil and plant health. Plus, discover how to activate Biochar for even better results.

Read the full guide

About Food2Soil

Food2Soil makes Australia's first fermented All-Purpose Biofertilisers naturally from food and coffee waste diverted from landfill. Think of kombucha, but for plants and soils!

  • An image of healthy organic lettuce growing in a veggie patch, with an 'Australia' outlined graphic in white placed over the top to signify 'Australian made'.

    Locally made on Ngunnawal country — Canberra region, Australia

  • Food2Soil's female founders and directors, Josie Grenfell and Annabel Schweiger.

    Women-owned and directed business

  • A photo of a hand holding rich soil, with a white B Coporation logo placed over the top.

    Certified BCorp, meeting high social and environmental standards 

  • A photo of Australian native tree foliage with a white graphic of a tree placed over the top, indicating that 1% of profits are donated to Greening Australia

    1% of profits donated to Greening Australia's ecosystem restoration projects

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is biochar, and how does it improve soil?

Biochar is a premium-grade soil amendment made through a process called pyrolysis, where organic material (ours is made with nut shells) is heated in the absence of oxygen.

This creates a stable, carbon-rich material with a porous structure that can last for hundreds or even thousands of years in the soil. When you apply biochar, you’re improving the soil in several ways. Its high surface area allows it to hold onto water and nutrients, making them available to plant roots over time. Biochar also provides a habitat for beneficial soil microbes, which work alongside your plants to enhance nutrient cycling, improve soil fertility, and promote healthy root development. The properties of biochar make it especially valuable for transforming poor-quality soils — like sandy soils that drain too quickly or clay soils that are dense and compacted — into thriving, fertile environments that support robust plant growth.

How does biochar support carbon sequestration, climate action, and water conservation?

One of the most exciting things about using biochar is its ability to deliver environmental benefits alongside garden improvements. First, biochar supports carbon sequestration. During biochar production, carbon from organic material is converted into a stable form that resists decomposition. This means the carbon stays locked in the soil for centuries instead of being released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide or methane — two major greenhouse gases. By applying biochar to your garden or farm, you’re helping to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to the fight against climate change. Second, biochar offers outstanding water conservation benefits. Thanks to its high surface area and porous nature, biochar absorbs and retains significant amounts of moisture, maintaining consistent water levels in the root zone even during dry periods. This reduces the amount of watering your garden needs and helps plants survive during drought or heat stress. By improving your soil’s water-holding capacity, biochar acts as a natural booster for drought resilience, supporting stronger roots, improved survival rates, and healthier plants even in tough Australian conditions.

How do I apply biochar, and how much do I need?

To get the most out of biochar, it’s important to activate your biochar before use. This involves inoculating it with beneficial microbes and nutrients so that when you apply it to your soil, it immediately starts supporting your plants rather than pulling nutrients away. You can activate biochar by mixing it with a microbial-rich liquid (like Food2Soil’s All-Purpose Biofertiliser) or blending it into compost or manure. Once activated, you can apply biochar by spreading it evenly over the soil surface and mixing it into the top 10–15 cm. For lawns, it can be raked in before watering; for garden beds, vegetables, potted plants, or Australian natives, it should be worked into the root zone. Because biochar is highly concentrated, a little goes a long way. For most home gardens, applying it once — and incorporating it well into the soil — can provide benefits for years, as the biochar continues to function as a nutrient and water reservoir and microbial habitat. Depending on your application rate and garden size, our 7-litre bag can cover several square metres of garden beds or be blended into potting mixes for multiple plants. You can reapply biochar every few years or when establishing new beds, but frequent reapplication is generally not necessary since biochar remains stable in the soil.

What plants and soil types benefit most from biochar?

Biochar is remarkably versatile and suitable for all soil types, but it offers particularly powerful results in soils that are sandy, compacted, or heavy in clay. In sandy soils, biochar helps hold onto moisture and nutrients, reducing the frequency of watering and fertilising. In clay soils, it improves aeration, drainage, and root penetration. You can use biochar with almost any plants: vegetables, fruit trees, flowers, ornamentals, Australian natives, lawn areas, indoor plants, and potted plants. Because it enhances soil quality and microbial diversity, it helps plants develop stronger roots, healthier foliage, and increased resistance to pests, diseases, heat, and drought — which can ultimately increase crop yields and garden productivity.

How does biochar reduce fertiliser needs and improve nutrient retention?

The porous, sponge-like structure of biochar is key to its ability to capture and hold nutrients. When mixed into the soil, biochar holds onto nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other essential nutrients, preventing them from leaching away during heavy rains or irrigation. This reduces your reliance on synthetic fertilisers and promotes a more natural, sustainable nutrient cycle. Over time, the use of biochar not only improves the availability of primary nutrients but also supports the development of a thriving microbial ecosystem. These microbes break down organic matter, release micronutrients, and work synergistically with plant roots to promote growth. This creates a self-reinforcing system where organic material, microbes, and plants continuously improve the fertility and health of your garden’s soil.

What makes Food2Soil’s biochar an eco-friendly choice?

Food2Soil’s Biochar Soil Improver is proudly made in Australia using sustainably sourced nut shells — a waste product from the Australian nut industry that would otherwise end up in landfill or be left to decompose and release carbon dioxide. By turning this organic material into biochar, a product that both enriches soils and actively sequesters carbon is created.

Plus, we package our biochar plastic-free, using a reusable calico bag and compostable mailers, aligning with our commitment to sustainability and reducing waste.

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