This allows me to squish everything down and fit more in. I added an extra fancy thing at the top–I cut a piece of cardboard the same size as the bucket. The texture is like half-blended oatmeal, and it has no smell.
I grab my bag of Bokashi mix (I transferred mine into a zip-lock baggie), and spread a handful or two of the mix on the food. I put this in the bottom of the bucket, like so:Įvery day I collect all my food scraps in a bowl, then toss them all into the bucket. Since I was going the super-cheap route, I made sort of a drain out of a Tupperware to keep the food raised above any liquid that might collect. If you get fancy and buy a bucket, it will have a spout so you can pour out any liquid (which is a great fertilizer). So I found a place online that sells it, and ordered a 6 month supply. This was one that seemed smarter to just purchase. Now, for most of these types of projects, I dive in and make everything. It needs to be airtight, and these Gamma lids are awesome because they’re easy to open with one hand (while the other is clutching banana peels and onion skins). I’ve done a little food storage, so I actually had an empty bucket with Gamma Lid sitting around. So I scoured the internet for information, and made my own Bokashi system. I wanted to try this method, but I didn’t want to fork out tons of money for equipment, only to find it won’t work for me. If this method proves effective, it definitely qualifies for the “Lazy man’s composting” award. Bokashi composting is as easy as scraping scraps into the garbage can, sprinkling it with “sugar”, and then adding it to the garden. Inevitably I end up at the chiropractor, and sneezing from allergies. Minimal EffortĬall me a wimp, but I HATE turning a compost pile every week. Adding the Bokashi waste feeds the soil, helping everything from microorganisms to earthworms to plants. The fermentation process breaks down the food waste, and then when it’s added to the garden the microbes in the soil decompose it completely within a short time (summer: 7-10 days winter 20-30 days). Bokashi composting takes only 2 weeks in the bucket, and about 2 weeks in the ground. Traditional composting can speed that process so it takes 3-4 months. Under normal circumstances, food and yard waste will decompose completely in 12-18 months.
Once it’s finished fermenting, it gets buried in the garden–so it never attracts flies, bugs, mice, or other animals. Even then, the smell is pickle-y, not rotten. No Rotten Smells and Pestsīecause the Bokashi system is sealed in an airtight bucket, there is no smell except when you open it to add more food. I have chosen to start with just fruit and veggie scraps. In just 3 weeks I have filled a 6-gallon bucket. Technically, with Bokashi composting you can recycle ANY food, including cooked meat, cheese, eggs, leftovers, etc. With our new eating habits, we eat so many vegetables, so I have been throwing away TONS of peels, seeds, cores, etc. It is much faster than traditional composting, and has many benefits. After another two weeks, the food is fully decomposed and incorporated into the soil. Once the bucket is full, keep it sealed for 2 weeks, then bury it in the garden. Spread Bokashi mixture (made of wheat bran, water, molasses, and microorganisms) on top, and seal it up. To keep things simple, I’m calling it Bokashi composting, even though this is somewhat of a misnomer.īasically, you take all your food waste and put it in a bucket. The microorganisms break down and pickle the food waste. Technically, Bokashi is actually a method of fermenting. I certainly can’t make enough compost to fill my garden beds every spring–so is it worth it? A New Way To CompostĬomposting uses microorganisms to decompose food and yard waste, using air and water. I’ve concluded composting takes a lot of work–without attending to it regularly (adding water, turning it), the decomposition process takes a long time. I tried adding my food scraps, but nothing seemed to decompose very quickly, and soon I gave up. And yet it is not big enough–there’s no good spot to dump everything into a big composting pile. My yard (1/5 acre) is too big–it produces more grass than the bins can hold. I’ve bought two different composting bins, but have not had much success. Don’t be fooled–I have tried to compost! But I keep waiting to find the method that works well before I write about it.
You may notice I’ve never written about composting before. I was so intrigued that I researched it right away, and decided to give it a try. Several weeks ago, Kati posted her garden plan and introduced us to Bokashi composting.
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