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Our family was never that great at traditional composting. Waste left in the kitchen compost container would inevitably grow foul smelling before it reached the compost pile. This reduced enthusiasm and cooperation, even though we agreed the overall concept of composting was worthy. A few years ago I saw a bokashi container in a garden supply catalogue. The ad mentioned that with bokashi composting, all organic kitchen scraps can be composted; not just vegetable waste, but table scraps and meat too. An article I found mentioned that the waste had a pungent, fermented odor, unlike the foul smell of our traditional compost. Would this new composting technique be a success for my family? Curious, we decided to try it out.
“Bokashi” is a Japanese term meaning “fermented organic matter”.In Bokashi composting, an “EM Inoculant” is sprinkled over food waste in an airtight container.EM Inoculant is an inert carrier, such as rice hulls, wheat bran or saw dust, infused with effective micro-organisms or EM..The EM are natural lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and phototrophic bacteria that act as a microbe community within the kitchen scraps, fermenting and accelerating breakdown of the organic matter.Once the fermentation is complete, the compost can be buried or placed in a modified compost pile to complete its decomposition.The end product is rich, dark compost, ready for the garden.
We’ve now been using bokashi and refining our technique for three years.When we first started there were only a couple of internet references to bokashi composting.Now many sites exist.Even one with a video.Many of the sites originate from island countries, where governmental agencies are promoting the technique, presumably to save on landfill space and promote returning biomass to the soil.If you decide to give bokashi composting a try, there is now a lot of support and additional information.
How it’s done
The bottom of the container is sprinkled with EM inoculant.All solid kitchen waste, including meat is added to the container and, at the end of the day, inoculant is tossed on.After a few days, the waste develops a pickled smell.This odor is not something you’d want to use as perfume but it certainly beats the smell of putrefaction.Once the container is full, it can be parked outside to continue fermentation and a second container brought in for fresh scraps.My family of five takes about 1 week to fill a five-gallon container.
After a couple of weeks sitting in the container outside, the waste is still present in its original shape and color.A white mold may be present on the top.The smell can be strong, but is not putrid.At that point, it can be buried in a hole in the yard a couple of feet deep.
However, fermented waste can’t be buried right next to plant roots, as it is somewhat acidic.So, when our landscaping was more or less complete, we constructed a permanent “bokashi” collection site.My husband cut off the bottom of a garbage can, we buried it a few inches in the ground and added a container of fermented garbage then covered the waste with a layer of soil and leaves.These layers can be built up over time and periodically mixed with a compost mixer.
We also add Bokashied waste to the middle of our conventional compost pile.The fermented waste is protected by a couple of milk crates to shield it from curious rodents.More waste can be added every three weeks or so as the original batch vanishes.Once all fermented odor is gone, the residual waste can be tossed with the rest of the debris in the pile.This system has created the first warm compost pile I’ve ever had with temperatures getting up to 120 degrees.The final compost is beautiful; crumbly, rich dark and brown.
Some web site incorrectly advertise Bokashi composting as odorless.It’s definitely not odorless.Flies, rodents and raccoons will be attracted to fermented waste as long as it has a detectable smell.Occasionally a batch of bokashi compost will “go off” in the container and develop a strong putrid smell.Usually an “off” container contains too much liquid or not enough inoculant.
Bokashi Containers
Fermentation occurs in oxygen free (anaerobic) conditions, so fresh air needs to be excluded. So a good container to collect fermenting garbage in needs a tight lid and should fit in the kitchen.A clean, 5 gallon paint container with a snap-on lid works well and can be found at any hardware superstore.Some plastic kitty litter containers work well too.Fancy bokashi containers are for sale in catalogs and over the Internet. These have a tray in the bottom to hold the fermenting garbage up out of the liquid that accumulates and a spigot to siphon off the liquid.The liquid is full of micro-organisms and can be diluted and added directly to the soil.We have one of these containers but rarely remember to tap the liquid.A 5-gallon picnic-style beverage dispenser with a spigot might work too.
Making your own EM Inoculant
A bran-micro-organism combination is called “inoculant”.Pre-prepared inoculant can be purchased on-line.However, it’s far less expensive to make at home. The organisms can be added to any inert material readily available such as rice hulls, wheat bran and saw dust.I purchased “effective micro-organisms (EM)” from a company on-line.Micro-organisms are a bit of a “blind item” and buying them on-line requires a leap of faith. Included with the packing slip were fairly easy to follow instructions for making the inoculant.
Inoculant ingredients
Molasses (grocery store)
Chlorine Free Water (well water or tap water aged in a open container for a day)
Wheat bran (Agricultural Store)
Effective micro-organisms (also known as EM, Order On-Line)
Tools Needed
Large Tarp
Rake
Shovel
Container
Stirring spoon
Plastic bins or garbage can
Conditions Needed
Weather protected spot outdoors such as a porch or carport .
Warm but not too humid weather.
The working time is 1-2 hours depending on batch size and how smoothly things go.
Bran is spread out on a tarp and mixed with a solution of water, molasses and EM.The key point is getting the desired consistency.Bran squeezed in a fist should hold together but crumble easily and not drip any liquid.I ended up needing to make more of the liquid than originally called for to get the desired consistency.The mixture is then shoveled into plastic storage bins or garbage cans to grow for about a month in warm weather.Happy growth is indicated by a white fuzz and a yeasty smell.The bran-microbe combo is spread out to dry and then stored in plastic bins or bags.Our family of five has been using the batch I made from 50 lbs of bran now for about three years.This fall, I may need to make another batch.
About Sarah Barksdale
I spent my childhood in the backyard, looking under stones and climbing trees. My long student and young professional years passed by in cities where I studied science and medicine. Latter, I became reacquainted with the backyard, having moved to the suburbs to raise small children. After a master gardening class and many experiments (some failures, some sucesses), I have a yard full of ..well..plants. Most of my gardening efforts revolve around attracting wildlife, designing with ornamental perennials and native plants and, most recently, producing vegetables.
Posted by Fitsy (from Hayesville, NC) on September 14, 2007 at 8:35 PM:
I appreciate the info!
Fitsy
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Posted by Fitsy (from Hayesville, NC) on September 14, 2007 at 8:57 PM:
Dang it, I didn't mean to start a new thread.
I just wanted to say thanks for the info here.
Fitsy
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Subject: Very informative, entertaining article!
Posted by JaxFlaGardener (from Jacksonville, FL) on September 3, 2007 at 5:46 AM:
This was all new info for me and I very much enjoyed your comprehensive review of Bokashi composting. I stopped trying to add kitchen vegetable scraps to my compost pile because our family of only two didn't really produce enough vegetable waste to make it seem worthwhile, and I felt I was not doing much other than attracting rats and vermin to the compost pile. The Bokashi method sounds like it may be a good alternative to be able to come up with some rich nutrients from kitchen scraps.
Thanks for the great article!
Jeremy
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Posted by BDale60 (from Warren, PA) on September 3, 2007 at 6:46 AM:
Good information and suggestions here. I hope it encourages more people to consider composting. Thanks!
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Posted by gardenglory (from Gainesville, FL) on September 3, 2007 at 7:32 AM:
I agree. Going to show it to husband right away, maybe I can now get rid of the bowls of nasty food that back up on my patio watiing to go to the compost..lol. I think alot of it is like Jeremy, we just dont have enough to make it worth the trip to the 'scarey' part of the yard.
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Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on September 3, 2007 at 8:49 AM:
I'd never heard of Bokashi composting prior to this article - thanks for some great information. Much appreciated!
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Posted by melody (from Benton, KY) on September 3, 2007 at 8:52 AM:
Wonderful information! Great article and a timely subject.
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Posted by GreenAtHeart (from Franklin Grove, IL) on September 3, 2007 at 12:06 PM:
I'd never heard of Bokashi composting either. Thanks for the tour. It was comprehensive information and may come to replace the container next to the sink that we now use.
Good article!
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on September 3, 2007 at 3:36 PM:
Very well explained article about a little known subject. Great job.
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Posted by ceejaytown (from The Woodlands, TX) on September 3, 2007 at 4:48 PM:
I was totally unaware of this method of composting. This sounds very doable, and the instructions were great! Good article and well written.
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Posted by pepper23 (from KC Metro area, MO) on September 3, 2007 at 5:01 PM:
Thanks for this article! I am now considering doing this.
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Posted by Sashagirl (from by the Muddy Miss., IA) on September 3, 2007 at 5:22 PM:
I thoroughly enjoy learning of new methods and concepts, so your thought provoking Article was a hit, with me!
I look forward to hearing more-both pros and cons.
Thanks!
Sasha
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Posted by stellamarina (from Laie, HI) on September 3, 2007 at 5:53 PM:
Wow! Something really different to think about. Thank you
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Posted by jadajoy (from Newport News, VA) on September 3, 2007 at 7:32 PM:
A great alternative to consider! Thanks.
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Posted by EMEric (from Tucson, AZ) on September 4, 2007 at 5:54 PM:
There are schools in the US that use the bokashi to "pickle" their food waste and grow flowers and vegetables.
Bokashi is not composting. Composting involves lots of turning and heat. The bokashi method is an anaerobic method without the heat. Fermentation controls pathogens and preserves nutrients and microbes that composting burns off.
Eric
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Posted by leaflady (from Hughesville, MO) on November 5, 2007 at 3:50 PM:
I have heard of similar methods but never the name. I wonder if the enzyme used to keep sink drains, etc. clean(used once weekly I think)would work to get the decomposing started. I have used compost inoculant tablets before and they worked fairly well. You just dissolved one in water and poured over the material to be decomposed.
Right now I not only have a pile that a lot of stuff gets thrown into but I also have a makeshift liquid container. I started it out with a bunch of half rotted leaves that were covered with water. Then a friend gave me some rabbit manure so a lot of that got added. In the meantime I decided to add kitchen scraps other than meats which the dogs and cats would eat for me. We went thru a period of a few weeks with an old dog who became incontinent at times before he died and a cat who was also having problems in that area. Before, I would just flush that stuff down the stool. Then I decided to throw it into the liquid. The container is getting pretty full so I'll need to remove some of the liquid & well rotted material from the bottom of the contain before long and add more fresh water. The container has a screen over the top which keeps some flys out but not all of them. But it also lets in rain water which is good. I'll dilute the 'tea' and use it to water plants outside the house. Inside I think it would draw fungus gnats.
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Posted by barksy (from Atlantic Beach, FL) on November 5, 2007 at 4:10 PM:
Hi Leaflady - if you are using dog or cat manure in your compost be very careful. They both have the potential to contain parasites that can infect humans. Check out the link below. [HYPERLINK@www.extension.umn.edu]
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Posted by davis1676 (from Disputanta, VA) on July 20, 2008 at 8:55 AM:
I'm here from the Bokashi thread under "Soil & Composting", where a link was installed to your article. Thanks for the great info & promotion of this type of composting. (It seems like a type of composting to me anyway.) I particularly like the way you made me feel as if I can succeed at this method. Thanks for the "user friendly article" & I can't wait to get started. I wonder if you're still doing the same things & if you made yourself a new batch of bran yet?
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Posted by barksy (from Atlantic Beach, FL) on July 30, 2008 at 6:57 PM:
Yes Davis1676 I am still bokashing but currently burying everything in a vegetable garden plot . It takes my family about a week to fill a 5 gal bucket which usually sits around for a couple of weeks before I bury it. I have made a new batch of bran and it is working well. I am now in a cooler, drier climate but the bokashi is still disappearing fairly fast once in the soil. Good luck if you decide to experiment with bokashi. Sarah
“Bokashi” is a Japanese term meaning “fermented organic matter”.
