Bokashi Composting*
Bokashi Composting*
Bokashi is a Japanese word meaning “fermented organic matter“. It is a form of composting that turns food scraps into nutrient rich soil amendments and fertilizer in just 1 month!
Bokashi is great for people who want to reduce their food waste but live in a small space or don’t have much time to manage a traditional compost system.
The best part is that you can compost nearly anything including meat and cheese and don’t have to worry about turning, watering, or green to brown waste ratios! All you need to get started are two buckets, bokashi flakes and a shovel.
Bokashi Composting in Three Easy Steps:
1.Add your Waste
Before you begin make sure you have a two bucket system with holes drilled into the top bucket to allow liquid to drain out.
Sprinkle bokashi flakes at the bottom of your bucket.
Start adding your food scraps
After every few inches of food scraps sprinkle a handful of bokashi flakes. Think of it like a bokashi lasagna. Continue until your bucket is full.
2. Let it sit
Once the bucket is full: close the lid tightly so that no oxygen gets in and set aside for two weeks.
This will allow time for the food to ferment. During this time it will grow a white mold, but don’t worry this is a sign of healthy bokashi.
During this two week process it will create a liquid that can be used as fertilizer when diluted with water.
3. Bury
After it has fermented for at least two weeks dig a hole in the ground big enough for the bucket contents to fit in.
Empty contents of the bucket into the hole and sprinkle bokashi flakes over it. Add dirt on top so that the contents are covered completely.
Materials in the ground will break down in about two weeks and be ready to use as a nutrient rich soil amendment.
Still have questions? Send an email to iskashitaafoodworkshops@gmail.com