Bokashi

The main ingredient of the Bokashi system is Bokashi sawdust impregnated with “beneficial microorganisms” including bacteria, yeasts and fungi. Food scraps are placed in an airtight bucket with holes in the bottom. Liquid drains into another bucket below.

Bokashi sawdust is sprinkled on each layer of food scraps (about one to two tablespoons of sawdust per two litre ice-cream container of foodscraps). The airtight lid is kept on except when food scraps are added. Once the bucket is full, the lid is kept on permanently and the bucket stored in a warm place for 7 to 14 days.

By now, the food waste will smell vinegary, and there will probably be white fungus growing on it, but otherwise it will look much like it did when you put it in the bucket. You can now dig it straight into the garden, where it will break down in an amazingly quick four weeks. Liquid from the bottom bucket can be diluted and used on the garden or in septic tanks.

Bokashi buckets and small bags of sawdust are sold at the Trading Post.You can buy a sack of sawdust directly from Bokashi NZ in Canterbury. http://www.medlicottdesign.com/bokashi/orderform.htm

Advantages:

• This system is ideal for kitchen scraps. It takes nearly all scraps including meat, dairy and fish. Two bucket sets will cope with most households’ scraps (unless they throw out a huge amount of food).
• There is almost no smell, so the buckets can be kept in the kitchen while they’re being filled up. They can also be kept indoors eg laundry, hot water cupboard, while they’re fermenting.
• The system is easy, quick, smell-free and tidy.
• The fermented food waste is dug directly into the garden, and breaks down very quickly, so it is available to your plants sooner.
• The fermented food waste attracts masses of worms to your garden, which boosts the quality of your soil.

Disadvantages:

• There is a set-up cost of buying two sets of buckets (one will be fermenting while you fill the other set). There is also an ongoing cost of buying the bokashi sawdust.
• Can be a bit of a hassle to dig in the garden every time, especially in winter if the soil is frozen, or in summer when your garden is full of veggies. However you can put the Bokashi’d food waste directly into the compost heap and use the compost later (after three to six months).

How to use Bokashi