If you haven’t heard about Bokashi Composting then you might be missing out on ways to compost even more, feed your garden even better and reduce your carbon footprint.
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Get the low down on Bokashi composting in the podcast episode and learn to grow while you’re on the go!
What is Bokashi Composting?
Organic gardeners know that the secret to an abundant garden is healthy soil and compost.
Bokashi composting is fermenting organic materials using special microbes known as Effective Microorganisms (EM) that are on a bran starter called Bokashi Bran. The microbes ferment the materials pre-composting them making them faster to break down.
The next step is to bury the fermented waste so that it fully breaks down.
What Can You Compost With Bokashi?
The beautiful thing about Bokashi composting is that you can compost materials that are typically a no-no in a normal compost bin including:
- raw meat
- cooked meat
- raw fish
- cooked fish
- dairy
- fried food
- salad dressing
- bones
- coffee grounds
- tea leaves
- dry teabags
- Fruit and vegetable cores and peels
- bread
- cereal
- grains
- pasta
- eggs
- eggshells
- paper
You can use Bokashi composting to pre-compost animal waste like dog poo but you need to handle that in a separate system, more about that later.
Benefits of Bokashi
I’ll be honest, I love Bokashi composting because it handles the main waste coming out of our homestead that the regular composters can’t handle. Here are some of the main benefits to Bokashi composting:
- Can compost fish, meat, dairy, and small bones
- Small space needed for the composter
- No worries about keeping worms alive!
- Compost contains more nutrients from more materials
- Makes a liquid fertilizer
- Kickstarts compost piles
- Does not attract pests or rodents
- Does not attract flies
The Cons of Bokashi Compost
There are some cons to this method of composting. The main one is that it is a 2-step process and the material needs to be buried and finding space to do that can be tricky however it can be buried in a trench, hole in the ground, large growing containers or into a compost pile.
The process also needs a bucket with an airtight lid and special bran to compost with. You can offset some of the cost of the Bokashi bran by making your own. You can also totally DIY the bucket if you are handy with basic tools.
How to Start Bokashi Composting
The easiest way to start composting with Bokashi is to get a Bokashi composting kit
- Add food waste to the composter.
- Squash out the air by pressing the waste down (a potato masher works great) and replace the lid. Follow steps 1 – 3 each time you add waste to the composter.
- Add Bokashi Bran
on top of the waste.
- Once the composter is full, keep the lid sealed and leave it for 2 weeks to complete fermentation.
- Each week during fermentation or as you are adding waste to the composter, open the spigot and collect the liquid from the composter.
- After the 2 weeks fermentation, you need to bury the waste. Bury the waste in a trench, hole in the ground, large growing containers or into a compost pile. You will need to leave the waste where it is buried again for 2 weeks to break down before planting.
- Grow!
on top of the waste.Bokashi Liquid
The liquid which is drained off is full of nutrients and microbes that help boost your plants and soil. It can be acidic making is great for those acid-loving plants like blueberries, azaleas or rhododendrons. I dilute about a cup of the Bokashi liquid to a 3 gallon watering can
Many people claim that pouring the liquid neat down the drain helps improve the drains too.
The liquid from the bokashi composter will vary in color and smell. It might smell like pickles or sauerkraut. If it smells rotten, nasty or makes you wanna gag then you might not be using enough of the Bokashi bran.
Resist Temptation To Plant Right after Burying!
You really need to leave the Bokashi burial alone for 2 weeks for good reason!
The materials still need to break down and compost.
Once the materials are buried, other microorganisms in the soil come along and start busting down the pre-composted fermented materials. The area where you bury the Bokashi can get hot in actual temperature and with a rush of nitrogen.
It’s acidic.
The freshly fermented waste is acidic or a low pH. Some plants hate acidic soils and won’t grow so give your plants the best chance to grow by letting the buried Bokashi complete composting.
Composting Dog Poo With Bokashi
I get it, as a dog mom to 3 there’s plenty of poop to pick up and sometimes if it rains in the poop pick up bucket it’s a foul, gag-worthy mess to clean up and can’t go into the wheelie bin.
You can compost dog waste with Bokashi, if you have the stomach for emptying fermented doggy dumplings into a hole to bury it. If you don’t have the stomach for it, try an in-ground dog poop composter
Separate Bokashi Composters
You must, must, must use a separate composter for dog poop. You cannot add it to your regular food waste Bokashi composter or compost pile. Dog poo contains harmful microbes called pathogens that can get into the food supply and make you and your family very sick.
Label your poop only buckets so they won’t get muddled up and to be really sure, think about using a different design or color so you know it’s the poo composter rather than the food composter.
You’re going to need to buy or make a couple more Bokashi composters
Remember, don’t add plastic bags that are not biodegradable to the composter.
The process for composting dog poo with Bokashi is the same as it is for food; add waste, squash out the air, add Bokashi Bran
Know Where to Bury
Bokashi composted dog waste needs to be well away from any places where you grow fruit, vegetables, herbs and keep it away from where the kids or pets play. At least 6 ft (2 m) is recommended.
You need to bury the Bokashi fermented waste with at least 8 inches of soil and do not plant anything edible on top. That means no veggies, no fruit, no herbs, no fruit trees or berry bushes. It’s just not worth the risk. You can plant ornamental shrubs and trees on top of the area.
Bokashi Composting Troubleshooting
Sometimes things are not quite fermenting to plan. If your composter stinks of anything but a pickling smell or a sweet-sour small, it is a sign that something is going wrong. Here are some tricks to try if your Bokashi composting is in trouble.
- Add more bran – not using enough bran will mean that other microbes will be settling into the bucket.
- Press out the air – use a potato masher to squash out any air pockets in the bucket. After sprinkling the bran, place a layer of plastic wrap or a plastic bag on top to block the oxygen in the air above the top layer.
- Drain off the liquid – open the tap regularly and remove the liquid building up in the bucket. Too much liquid can stop the microbes from working properly.
- Keep in the dark – keep your Bokashi composter somewhere that the temperature doesn’t fluctuate too much and in the dark for the best results during the filling and fermenting phase.
- Smaller pieces – break up the waste into smaller pieces, and chop up big chunks like chicken bones. Smaller pieces mean fewer air pockets.
- A spoonful of sugar keeps the putrefaction down – if your composter smells of putrification, add a tablespoon or two of sugar to kick start the microbes and stop the putrefaction process.
If you see blue or black mold on your fermenting waste, you will need to empty the composter and bury the contents with extra bokashi bran and about 1/4 cup of sugar. Molds that are blue or black in color will stop the Bokashi microbes from working. Thoroughly wash out the bucket with hot soapy water and an old scrubbing brush before starting your Bokashi composting again.
When burying Bokashi waste with blue or black mold, leave the area about 4 weeks before planting on top of the area.
White-colored molds do not interfere with the Bokashi microbes if they start to appear, try covering the top later with a plastic back to block the air in the bucket.
Summary
Bokashi composting is a 2-phase process of fermenting waste like meat, fish, dairy, and bones before it needs to be buried in a compost pile or in a trench in the ground.
Bokashi composting makes highly fertile soil once composting has finished and during fermentation, liquid fertilizer is produced that can feed your plants, kick start a compost pile or even help unclog drains.
What will you compost this year?
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