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Bokashi Composting

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What is Bokashi Composting?

Bokashi is a Japanese term that means "fermented organic matter".

Although the Bokashi method has been used in Japan for hundreds of years, the composting system has been available for purchase since 1982. Bokashi is essentially a small container that sits on your kitchen bench or floor for you to put all your food scraps in. The system is used with a Bokashi probiotic additive that breaks down food scraps and turns it into compost three times faster than traditional composting systems.

As well as saving your food scraps from ending up in a landfill, burying your Bokashi compost in the garden will supply your plants with a nourishing food source.

The Bokashi system offers many advantages over conventional food waste systems, including: reduced green house emissions, reduced odours and provides a more compact and portable system making it ideal for city living.

What Can I compost in a Bokashi Container?

You can compost almost every kitchen food waste in your Bokashi Container including fruit and vegetables, prepared foods, cooked and uncooked meats and fish (seriously), cheese, eggs, bread, coffee grinds, tea bags, wilted flowers and tissues.

Bokashi Container and Probiotics

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How do I use the Bokashi Compost?

Place your kitchen waste into the Container
Sprinkle a hand full of Bokashi Probiotic over the waste.
Repeat this layering process until the Bokashi Container is full.
Drain off liquid (Bokashi juice) as necessary.

Japanese Courtyard Garden 

I filled the Bokashi Container - Now what?

Once the container is full the waste can be buried in your garden. If you have only one Bokashi Container the waste can be buried as soon as it is full. Depending on how much waste your kitchen produces, it probably hasn't had much chance to break down or ferment as yet. The kitchen waste will still break down quickly once buried because of the Bokashi micro-organisms mixed in.

If you have two Bokashi Containers, you can begin the process again in your second container. Let the waste from the first Bokashi Container continue to break down and ferment an additional length of time. Then, bury the waste in the garden and wash out Bokashi Container so it's ready to use when your second Bokashi Container is full.

With two Bokashi Buckets the waste gets extra time to ferment, you will get more of the valuable Bokashi Juice and it is more convenient, however, this wonderful composting system will still work with just one Bokashi Bucket.

Bokashi Compost will look different to other compost that has decayed. As the food waste does not breakdown or decompose a lot while it is in the container, much of its original physical property will remain the same. Breakdown of waste will occur after it has been transferred to the soil.

Why is Compost good for the garden?



Improves Soil structure!
Provides nutrients to plants!
Improves water retention!
Improves Soil drainage!
Prevents Soil disease!

Bokashi Probiotics

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Bokashi Juice

Like a worm farm, the Bokashi composting system provides a useful juice.

As the kitchen waste starts to ferment, Bokashi Juice will form in the bottom of the bucket. It should be drained off as it builds up.

Bokashi Juice can be diluted with water and makes a terrific fertiliser for garden or pot plants. It can also be poured down drains and it is safe to use in septic tanks. When used in drains it will help to clean up our water ways by competing with harmful bacteria.

Using the Bokashi Juice in the Garden

To fertilise an existing garden or plants dilute 2 tablespoons to five litres of water and apply to the bare soil. For foliage dilute to between 1 - 2 teaspoons to five litres of water and spray over foliage to form a film over the leaves.

Differences between Bokashi and Traditional Composting

Do you compost at home?

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Bokashi Products on eBay

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News on Bokashi Composting

Bokashi Composting System: A Faster Way Of Eco-Friendly Gardening
Bokashi is a method of composting that can work for people who already live as green as possible in their small space but have no option to eliminate those pesky food scraps. Bokashi composting is an effective, seamless and quick way to compost food ...
Bokashi System Creates Compost in Two Weeks
by Leon Kaye 05/01/12 3 Comments Drainage from the Bokashi composting system can be used to fertilize plants and soil. Photo: Paul Leslie While composting has become more mainstream, not everyone has access to the space necessary for the maintenance of ...
Stoneleigh First Private Club In Mid-Atlantic To Commit To Zero Food Waste
Stoneleigh will become the first private club in the Mid-Atlantic to commit to a zero waste food initiative by using an innovative type of fermentation composting called bokashi. The Club's Tavern will become the first restaurant in Virginia to ...
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  • vallain Oct 14, 2011 @ 8:20 pm | delete
    This sounds like the perfect thing for my New England garden. I'd not heard of it before.
  • goo2eyes Oct 7, 2011 @ 12:48 pm | delete
    i compost the falling leaves and grass in my garden. i don't use any composting material to speed up the process. all i got are some snails which feed on them and then at the end of the season, i got millions of mini-snails running around. perhaps, bokashi fermenting method is the easiest way to product compost without having these nasty red, brown and black naked snails.
  • GastroStu Aug 6, 2011 @ 6:09 am | delete
    Great lens, I've started growing my own fruit and veg this year, this info could prove useful. Bookmarked :)
  • filmic Aug 5, 2011 @ 6:46 pm | delete
    nice lens. Might try it, i'm sick of buying Veg from supermarkets.
  • singlemaltdram Aug 5, 2011 @ 6:44 pm | delete
    Great idea! if i lived in an apartment i'd use this.
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mellex

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Must have Bokashi Compost System 

SCD Probiotics K101 All Seasons Indoor Composter Kit, Black Bucket/Bokashi

SCD Probiotics K101 All Seasons Indoor Composter Kit, Black Bucket/Bokashi

Amazon Price: $46.95 (as of 05/27/2012)Buy Now

The All Seasons Indoor Composter kit is a unique, in-house system used to recycle kitchen scraps into an organic compost soil conditioner. The most effective method of fermenting is through anaerobic (without oxygen) fermentation. This process prepares the scraps for burial in less than half the time of conventional composting methods without any unpleasant odors. This system ferments and pickles your food waste in less than half the time of conventional composting methods without odors. The All Seasons Indoor Composter includes two unique features, the strainer and spigot, allowing the moisture released by the scraps of food waste to be drained out to prevent spoilage. This liquid can be used as a fertilizer for household plants (1:100 dilutions) or to clean your kitchen and bathroom drains (undiluted). The All Seasons Indoor Composter kit can be easily implemented in an indoor environment making it useful for apartment, school, household, restaurant, business or wilderness use. Each composting kit comes with complete instructions. The All Seasons Indoor Composter used in conjunction with All Seasons Bokashi, the system provides the ideal conditions to activate anaerobic fermentation that accelerates the composting process, while eliminating odors and deterring flies.

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