Bokashi Basics

Here at CompostGuy.com I aim to explore organic waste management from as many angles as possible.

While I certainly have a passion for composting, I’m not so naive as to think it is the ‘be all, end all’. I definitely like to keep an open mind!

One topic I’ve been meaning to learn more about is Bokashi. It is a waste management strategy that appears to have a decent following of supporters, and one that seems to offer some perks for people interested in dealing with organic wastes on the home front.

Although it is often referred to as a type of ‘composting’, Bokashi actually relies upon fermentation (and therefore anaerobic) processes.

So how does it work?

In a nutshell, Bokashi involves the use of a bucket (or other sealed container) and a special microbial concoction – using what are known as “Effective Microorganisms”, or EM for short. This term is actually a trademarked brand name, not simply a description.

The “Effective Microorganisms” concept was developed in the 80’s by a Japanese scientist, Dr. Teruo Higa, and as stated on the EM America Website these beneficial microbes are “non-pathogenic microorganisms that secrete compounds that are useful, or beneficial, to other life.” If the list of EM uses on this website is any indication, it is pretty clear that these “Effective Microorganism” mixes are used for far more than just waste management!

All that being said, I should probably point out that these terms (“EM” and “Effective Microorganisms”) are widely used, and don’t always necessarily refer to specific products of Dr. Higa’s company (much to their chagrine, I would imagine!)

OK – getting back to Bokashi…

The EM mixture used for this process is combined with some sort of “carrier” material – typically bran mixed with molasses and water. You have the choice of purchasing this mix ready-made, or you can make it yourself (of course, you’ll still need to buy EM, bran, and molasses). Aside from the overall process itself, it is this mixture that is called Bokashi.

The actual process of filling a Bokashi bucket is quite straight-forward. You simply add your organic waste materials (according to some sources you can even add meats and dairy), then cover with a layer of Bokashi. Repeat this process until your bucket is full. At this point you let it sit undisturbed for a period of time ranging from several days up to a couple of weeks. As such, it is probably not a bad idea to have at least a couple Bokashi buckets going at one time.

Once this ’sitting’ period is over, it is then suggested that you dig the materials directly into your garden, or simply add them to your outdoor compost bin.

Lets now look at some of the potential pros and cons of Bokashi:

PROS
1) It is VERY easy
2) Can be accomplished on a small scale (so well-suited for home owners)
3) It is apparently odour-free (or at least does not create nasty rotting smells)
4) Produces a material that will act as a ’slow-release’ fertilizer in your garden
5) Potentially works well as a partner strategy with composting/vermicomposting
6) Some say it can be used to deal with ANY kitchen wastes (meat, dairy etc)
7) Admit it – just saying the word “Bokashi” is fun!!

CONS
1) You’ll need to have a constant supply of Bokashi mix on-hand
2) Need at least a couple buckets (assuming no other waste management strategies used) for continual Bokashi action
3) ‘Finished’ material is not really finished – still needs to be aged in soil or compost bin before beneficial for plants.
4) Even though it can be done on a small-scale, the end product needs to be put somewhere (ie. potential winter limitations).

So there you have it!
I am definitely interested to give Bokashi a try. As you can see (in the picture above), I have already set aside a bucket for the task. I just need to get a hold of some Bokashi mix and I will be ‘good to go’! I will be interested to see not only how well Bokashi works on its own, but I’m also curious to see if the end material can be used as a ‘food’ for my worm bins.

Rest assured, there will be plenty more Bokashi posts coming your way!

In the meantime, be sure to check out these great Bokashi resources:
Great Day Bokashi
City Farmer Bokashi Page

Technorati Tags: bokashi, em, effective microorganisms, fermentation, anaerobic digestion, composting

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Written by Compost Guy on October 14th, 2007 with 9 comments.
Read more articles on Anaerobic Digestion and Bokashi.

Fall Composting

Fall is here, and with it comes an abundance of rich composting materials!

In my neck of the woods (Ontario) the leaves are already starting to pile up on lawns and it’s time to start thinking about cutting back my perennials and clean up the veggie gardens. The end result will be a major surplus of organic materials – all prime composting fodder.

As an avid vermicomposter, I’ll be using my leaves and yard waste to help keep my outdoor worm bin active during the cold months ahead. In fact, my aim is to make it all the way through till spring this time around (last winter I had to call it quits in January). You can read a little more about my plans at Red Worm Composting:
Preparation for Winter Worm Composting

Last year I found that leaves were a fantastic material since they provided both insulation and food for the worms. The only problem was that I burned through my supply far too quickly. This fall I’m hoping to build up a much larger stash by raiding neighbourhood curbside collections (ok, maybe I’ll ask permission – hehe).

Leaves are a great choice for hot composting as well, but tend to have a C:N above the optimal range so it will definitely help to mix in other (nitrogen-rich) materials. They also have a tendency to get matted down when wet which of course impedes the air flow, slowing down the composting process. If you happen to have some bulkier green plant materials on-hand these will be perfect for mixing in with the leaves.

Around this time last fall I decided to clean up my tomato garden – the end result was a huge heap of plants and leftover tomatoes (shown on the right). I ended up chopping everything up and adding them to my worm bin, but this material mixed with leaves would have made for an excellent hot composting pile.

If you are going to use bulky plant materials in your heap, be sure to shred them as much as possible. This helps increase surface area for microbial colonization and makes them easier to work with.

Last fall I did all my chopping by hand using a pair of loppers (heavy duty plant shears), but a small chipper of some sort would definitely work well. If you don’t have a chipper and don’t feel like taking the time to chop by hand, an easy way to do the job is to lay the materials out in a thin layer and run over them with your lawn mower. Even better, add a layer of leaves over top (a ratio of 2:1, leaves:green waste should work well) and attach a catcher bag to your mower. You’ll end up with a nice mixture ready to make into a compost pile.

Technorati Tags: fall, fall leaves, composting, hot composting, compost, compost bin, compost pile, worm bin, worm composting, vermicomposting

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Written by Compost Guy on October 2nd, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on Composting.