Bokashi is a Japanese word for fermented organic matter. It is a different way of converting food waste/organic material into nutrient-rich soil amendment than the commonly known aerobic composting. Unlike compost, Bokashi is made by fermenting (acidifying) the food waste using micro-organisms under anaerobic conditions, i.e. in a completely leak-proof container.
For this to happen, you need the right aggregate of micro-organisms: yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, and photosynthetic bacteria. These micro-organisms are also called EM which is the abbreviation for Effective Micro-organisms.
Get started: Make Bokashi Compost in just 5 to 6 Weeks
It is very simple. All you need is:
- fresh food waste
- a Bokashi kitchen compost bin
- composting yeast
Bokashi kitchen compost bin is specially designed for you to ferment all your food waste in it. It is no bigger than it can fit under the kitchen sink. It has a tight-fitting lid, drainage, and a tap. It holds 16 liters of food waste. The tight-fitting lid prevents odors and flies.
The bucket also comes with a small scoop for measuring the wheat bran inoculated with EM, a small cup for collecting the bokashi liquid, and a plunger for squeezing air pockets out of the food waste when you add it to the bucket.
Included with a Starter Kit are 2 Bokashi kitchen compost pails, a beaker, a plunger, a small shovel, and 1 kg of Bokashi slurry.
The advantages of Making Bokashi in the Bokashi Kitchen Compost Bin
- no odor nuisance in the form of rot
- no bags
- no insects or worms
- emptied 1 to 2 times per month
You get your food waste converted into bokashi* in an oxygen-free fermentation process in the bucket – in a simple and ecological way. Bokashi is the name given to all organic material that ferments without oxygen with the help of bacteria and yeast – the effective microorganisms. The food waste ferments and does not turn into the soil in the bucket – only when it gets into the ground does it turn into the compost/soil we know.
Compost in 5 to 6 Weeks
It takes only 5 to 6 weeks to make your own compost (bokashi) compared to the equivalent of 1 to 2 years for conventional composting. The whole composting process is fermentation. Every time you put food waste in the bucket, you add a bit of bokashi bran, which contains Effective Microorganisms. The micro-organisms help to speed up the digestion of your food waste.
The micro-organisms make the food waste acidic instead of rotting. The pH slowly decreases to below 4. The acidity disappears after 14 days in the soil and at the same time, the pH adjusts to the soil’s own pH around 6-7.
In return, you get quality compost for your plants – plants in the living room, garden, and on the balcony. Another by-product is bokashi liquid, which is diluted 1:100/200 with water and is also a powerful fertilizer for your plants, conditioner for your drainage, or in the septic tank.
You get 3 useful products: solid fertilizer, liquid fertilizer, and drain cleaner.
