COLUMNIST: KAREN STEWART-RUSSELL
Bokashi is a process that converts food waste and similar organic matter into a soil amendment which adds nutrients and improves soil texture.
As the weather starts to turns cooler, you may be looking for ways to kick start your compost-making. Here in Fife my compost heap really starts to slow down now and does not break down as quickly, so this time last year I started to look into ways to keep it ticking over more successfully, and came across the concept of bokashi.
Bokashi means ‘fermented organic matter’, and is a Japanese method of turning food waste into a soil improver. All you need to get started is a bokashi bin and some bokashi bran. Kits are readily available, often with the bonus of a bran scoop and pressing paddle for the food waste.
Bokashi is very different to traditional composting methods. It is an anaerobic way of processing food waste, with the aim to keep the air out as much as possible by keeping your bin well sealed, and pressing down the food waste.
Bokashi bran should be sprinkled over each layer of food waste - this is wheat bran combined with molasses and effective micro organisms which help to break down the organic matter. I use a couple of tablespoons of bran over each 1-2 inch thick layer of food waste.
You can add most kitchen waste to your bokashi bin, including meat and dairy, which means less goes into your general waste bin, though try to avoid adding anything too wet, and do not add bones.
Every couple of days drain any liquid from the bin by turning the tap (a takeaway sauce pot fits perfectly under the tap to catch the liquid). The liquid makes a useful plant food when diluted 1/100.
For ease of use I keep my bin in the kitchen where it does not take up much room. There are no odours thanks to the bran, and the bin being a sealed unit. I keep some bran in a sealed tub next to my scoop, pressing paddle, and a jar for the bokashi liquid to be poured into.
It takes about two weeks for the full bin of organic matter to become useable material so it can be useful to have a second bin you can fill while the first is fermenting.
When you open your fermented bin it may not look like you may be expecting. It will look pretty similar to when you closed it up, the waste does not fully break down but it is fermented. White furry mould is fine, it shows it is working: green mould means air has gotten in, perhaps with the lid being loose or it can mean your bran is too old. The bran is not effective after being stored for eighteen months so I keep a note of when a new bag is purchased.
You will need to start again with fresh bran after checking your bin lid and tap are correctly fitted.
Once your bokashi mix has fermented you have two options: you can add it to you compost heap where it will act as an accelerator and help it to break down faster, or you can add it straight into your garden soil.
If using your finished bokashi mix directly, nearly all carbon, energy, and nutrients go into the soil, meaning they are not giving off greenhouse gases or escaping as heat.
To add bokashi straight into the soil, dig a trench, add the bokashi mix, and cover it with the removed soil. The bokashi mixture is quite acidic so avoid planting on top of it for a few weeks.
It is very nutrient rich and helps to improve soil structure. In my beds which stay empty over winter I add bokashi and shredded leaves under the spent compost, and by planting season I have the most beautiful, fertile soil, ready to plant in again without the need to spend money on fresh compost.
My bokashi bin paid for itself very quickly, saving me money on compost and soil improvers, and I am reducing my food waste from going to landfill.
Why not add a bokashi bin to your Christmas list?
Karen Stewart-Russell lives in the heart of rural Fife. Passionate about the mental health benefits of gardening, she shares the joy of growing with her local community through her over the garden wall seed, plant, and book library.
Karen has a relaxed, wildlife friendly garden, full of flowers. She is a huge fan of roses, as well as a great lover of herbs, and their use. Follow Karen's gardening on Instagram.