Mudatuga accepted my invitation and wrote this article about Bokashi composting. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
What is Bokashi composting?
Bokashi composting is a composting process that uses microorganisms, present in what is known as “Bokashi bran”, to ferment organic waste anaerobically (without oxygen) and create a nutrient-rich compost that improves soil quality.
The microorganisms in question are called effective microorganisms (EM). They are what stops the waste from rotting and smelling bad, because before any of that can happen, the waste ferments. They play a hugely important part in the whole process and, beyond that, they are highly beneficial when they come into contact with plants, whether as compost or as a liquid biofertiliser (the so-called “Bokashi tea”, which we will come to shortly). They improve soil fertility, encourage flowers and fruit to develop and help crops ripen.
And why is Bokashi compost better than other composts? Good question!
Most other organic fertilisers consist essentially of nutrients that plants can absorb through their roots. Bokashi fertiliser carries not only nutrients but dozens of species of microorganism that act on the health of the soil, helping it regenerate and function well.
In the same way that a probiotic works in our gut by strengthening the digestive microbiota, Bokashi microorganisms strengthen the microbiota already present in our soils.
Back to Bokashi tea…
The “Bokashi tea” we mentioned a moment ago is a natural fertiliser that drains to the bottom of the Bokashi composter as the waste ferments. That liquid falls through the composter’s false base and should be drawn off through the little tap 2 to 3 times a week. It is normal to have almost no Bokashi tea at all when you first start filling the composter. Sometimes it can take weeks before you can drain any liquid off. If that happens, do not worry. It is very common.
This liquid can be used to keep pipes from blocking (you can pour it down the kitchen or bathroom drain) but, above all, when diluted in water at a ratio of 1:100 (10ml of “tea” to 1 litre of water), it is a superfood for plants.
An essential part of sustainable agriculture is also the management of biowaste and how much of it gets “recycled”.
Sustainable agriculture is basically a sustainable way of meeting our food and textile needs without compromising the ability of current or future generations to do the same. If we carry on battering the soil with imported chemicals, allowing extremely dangerous greenhouse gases to be released in landfill, and ignoring the environmental impact of transporting and treating it all, sustainability will not last.
Even though every composting method is “a thousand times” better than sending organic waste to general rubbish, and “a hundred times” better than simply separating it, Bokashi is the most sustainable and most circular solution to the biowaste problem. What it does, essentially, is take from the soil what it will later give back, in a way that improves the soil’s quality and fertility.
Is Bokashi the best option for you?
The answer is that Bokashi is an excellent method for everyone. If you prefer worms, or you want to feel a big compost heap heating up, vermicomposting and thermophilic composting are good options too… But the truth is that Bokashi produces higher-quality compost, and at least 3x faster than the other methods. And besides being able to put almost all food and organic waste into Bokashi (including fish, meat and seasoned food)*, it releases 10 times fewer greenhouse gases (almost none, in fact) than traditional methods, and, of course, nothing compared with what would be released in landfill.
And there is more. This method does not attract flies or pests, because the composter is hermetically sealed and the waste is fermented, and it also lets you cut the volume of organic waste by 25% on average thanks to draining off the Bokashi tea. And did you know that Bokashi compost helps inhibit certain plant diseases?
Why buy compost when you can make it at home, far more cheaply, and do your own wellbeing and the planet a favour? And I do not know whether this is your experience too, but around here we cannot bear the smell of public general-waste bins full of rotting food ☹
* Note: you cannot put liquids, large bones or animal faeces into the composter.
So, now that we hope we have convinced you, let us go through the basics of the process!
How does the Bokashi composting process work?
- Buy your Bokashi composter kit. If you buy from the Mudatuga online shop you can use the discount code JOANA5. Buying there, you will receive the kit with one 1kg pack of Bokashi bran, which lasts 3 to 4 months depending on how many people in the house are generating organic waste. The kit includes 2 composters because once you fill one, you have to leave it to ferment for 2 weeks, and in the meantime you start filling the other;
- Assemble your composter and start by putting a little Bokashi bran in the base (on top of the false bottom);
- Collect your organic waste through the day and then put it into the composter in small pieces (avoid opening it more than once a day so oxygen is not constantly getting in, remember that fermentation happens anaerobically!);
- Crush the waste down well (the kit includes a tool for this, but you can use anything);
- Put some Bokashi bran over each layer of waste (each layer should be no more than about two fingers deep). You can judge it by eye: you do not need to cover everything. Roughly 60% coverage is enough. Or, if you would rather use a measure (usually included in the kit), aim for 40ml. But how much bran to use depends a great deal on the type of waste you are adding. The harder you think certain waste will be to ferment, the more bran you should use;
- Repeat this for each layer until the composter is completely full, and do not forget to draw the “Bokashi tea” off through the tap 2 to 3 times a week. Leaving the liquid in there too long can start to produce an unpleasant smell when you open the composter;
- Once it is full, leave the composter to rest and ferment for at least 2 weeks, and start the process again in the second composter;
- After those 2 weeks (longer if you like), tip the waste out somewhere with soil and mix it all in (a bin, a pot, the yard, and so on). Make sure the ratio is at least 2:1 (twice as much soil as the volume of waste). Cover it with a layer of soil at least four fingers deep. It is important to do this mixing away from your plants, because at this stage the pH is still too acidic and they will not like it at all;
- Now you have to wait 2 to 3 weeks before the compost can be used on your plants. You can spread it over pots or put it straight onto your vegetable patch or garden.
Not difficult, is it? Bokashi composting happens with almost no intervention from us. With traditional composting there is a good deal more to keep an eye on.
So what do you say? Ready to become a proper Bokashi composting ninja? 😀
