Bokashi Compost Simple, Clean, Convenient and Effective
So you live in an apartment or don't have much of a back yard?
Or you're in a location too cold to create normal compost?
Don't throw out the idea of composting.
Bokashi composting, invented in Japan where space is at a premium and health consciousness is high, is your solution.
What do you need?
A simple, inexpensive and odourless system, Bokashi simply requires an airtight lidded bucket with a tap and a bran mix infused with micro-organisms, called EM (effective micro-organism) mix.
You can easily find a Bokashi kit - consisting of bucket plus EM bran mix - online at outlets such as Amazon, or at your neighborhood organic food store, gardening store or hardware store.
You can use just about any kitchen scraps, including fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, bread, coffee grounds, tea bags and dairy products (but not milk).
The end product of Bokashi composting after bucket fermentation resembles the food scraps originally used but has a pickled look. It smells something like cider vinegar.
Two Simple Steps to Start All you need to do to create Bokashi compost is:
1. Throw a layer of kitchen scraps into your Bokashi bucket.
2. Sprinkle with the EM bran mix.
Add further layers of scraps and EM bran until the bucket is full.
Composting with a Single Bokashi Bucket If you have just one Bokashi bucket, once it's full simply dig the contents into the soil.
Allow the compost to break down for around a month before planting. Beware of planting too soon in Bokashi enriched soil as it will initially be over-acidic.
Meanwhile you can wash out the bucket and start filling it with kitchen scraps and the EM bran mix again.
Composting with Two Bokashi Buckets When the first bucket is full, allow the contents to ferment for 10 - 14 days.
During fermentation in the Bokashi bucket, open the bucket tap as required to release Bokashi juice, which makes a great fertilizer.
Be careful not to close the tap too tightly as the washers are sensitive and damage will cause the bucket to leak.
After digging the Bokashi mixture into the soil, allow another two weeks for it to break down completely before planting.
So you live in an apartment or don't have much of a back yard?