A Partnership that Takes Engineered Soils to the Next Level
Read Custom Soils has chosen to partner with Standard BioCarbon to bring their super soil amendment to the New England marketplace. Read Custom Soils is actively working on new engineered soil designs that leverage the vast benefits of Standard Biocarbon's premium biochar. Research and field applications have already confirmed the benefits to tree health from biochar enhanced soils. SB's premium biochar boasts a remarkably low bulk density making it a natural choice for lightweight soil for green roofs. Additionally, its stimulating effect on beneficial bacteria and microbiology will produce unprecedented results in filtering stormwater through bioretention soils. Every planting bed soil application will be enhanced with the addition of premium biochar, reducing necessary inputs while directly sequestering carbon.
Standard Biocharbon (SB) has invested millions of dollars to build a state-of-the-art biochar production plant in Enfield, Maine. Sawmill residuals (spruce and fir wood waste) provide a consistently homogeneous feedstock to their pyrolysis plant which produces high-quality, over 90% organic carbon biochar. SB is one of the largest manufacturers of purpose-made biochar, operating a sophisticated German pyrolytic kiln manufactured by Pyreg, the leading technology provider in Europe. SB is currently the first and only company operating this technology in North America. Launched in Spring of 2024, this new production facility will finally allow this super soil amendment to be used in modern landscape design and construction at competitive prices throughout the region.
Now in 2026, the partnership has continued to evolve as we work together to create new divot mix and rootzone blends. Read Custom Soils is introducing a new series of
soil blends that improve performance while mitigating the environmental impact of added
amendments.
GET IN TOUCH TODAY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE EXCITING PRODUCTS AND TO PLACE AN ORDER!
The challenge & THE SOLUTION
NOT ALL BIOCHAR IS CREATED EQUAL
Currently, there is no universal list of approved product claims for biochar, resulting in a wide variation in product characteristics and quality.
Biochar from Standard Biocarbon is a superior product. Standard Biochar is NOT a byproduct or a high carbon fly ash material collected at biomass power facilities. It is purposely made from a consistent feedstock using a carbon negative production process. At over 90% carbon, this is a pure, high-quality biochar. The porous structure of this material improves the soil's water-holding capacity and provides surface area on which soil's biological community can grow and thrive. This enhancement leads to healthier and more resilient trees, turf and plants.
Our Premium BioChar:
- Purpose-made, single-source biochar
- 90% organic carbon
- Low bulk density, improved soil aeration
- Adding 5-15% inoculated biochar will improve the quality of any planting soil
- Provides an excellent habitat for microbiology
- Reduces soil compaction & nutrient leaching
- Biochar is a climate smart commodity
New! Engineered Soils Podcast with EBC
The Environmental Business Council interviewed our Tony Will recently on the topic of Enginerred Soils and the new partnership with Standard Biocarbon.
biochar in action
Redbrook Plants Tiny Forest
To celebrate Earth Day 2024, the A.D. Makepeace Companies, in coordination with Sustainable Redbrook, announced the creation of a Miyawaki Forest at Redbrook. Commonly referred to as a pocket forest or tiny forest, the effort brought more than 300 native plants to the Redbrook community. The forest is the first Miyawaki Forest in the southeastern part of Massachusetts.
The Miyawaki Forest concept focuses on planting biodiverse, native, pocket-sized forests that lead to cooling, increased biodiversity, and carbon sequestration, among other benefits. The forests are typically installed in urban areas, with at least eight already growing or planned in Massachusetts, ranging from 1,100 square feet to 4,300 square feet.
Read Custom Soils partnered with the Redbrook Community to use the site as a pilot project for evaluating various types of engineered soils that best help the forests sequester carbon, provide tree canopy, and deliver habitat and environmental benefits. The project will be open to Redbrook residents, interested landscape architects, climate resiliency scientists, and interested members of the public to visit and engage.
RCS’s proprietary Miyawaki Forest Planting Soil was used for the project. The blend includes coarse sand, natural base loam, mature leaf compost, biochar and a mycorrhizal fungi inoculant. After planting, an additional two to four inches of RCS Miyawaki Forest Floor Layer (that resembles a natural forest duff layer) was placed over the soil and around the 300 new plantings in the 2,000-square-foot space. Though small at the time of planting, these densely planted young whips simulate the layers of a natural forest and allow for rapid growth of tree species, sub species, shrubs, and groundcover and can help to create a forest in just 20 to 30 years.
