Bokashi Composting
Some of the things I was told about bokashi composting when I started doing it weren’t accurate, and it was a struggle for a while. But I learned a lot after doing it for a year, and it’s actually an awesome composting option for apartments and other small and/or rented spaces.
So here’s Mod J’s Post on Why Apartment-Dwellers Should Do Bokashi Composting, with a few things I wish I’d known starting out.
What is bokashi composting?
Here’s what I understood when I started bokashi composting:
Bokashi composting is a method of composting that uses microorganisms in a powder called “bokashi bran” to speed up the composting process and eliminate the smell. Put your food scraps in the bin and layer with the bran. Once the bin is full, let it sit for two more weeks, and you’ll have good dirt ready for planting.
That’s not entirely accurate. Here’s a more accurate description:
Bokashi composting uses fermentation to turn organic waste into two components: a solid pre-compost and a liquid “bokashi tea.” The tea can be dilluted with water (a 1:100 ratio is recommended because of its high acidity) and used as a fertilizer. The pre-compost can be buried in dirt and within two weeks will become nutrient-rich compost dirt itself.
How does it work?
The bokashi method works by fermentation. Keeping it in an airtight bin allows it to ferment instead of rot, and the “bran” is supposed to help it along. (Sometimes white mold grows on the stuff inside -that’s perfectly fine and normal.) Fermenting breaks down the organic material a lot faster than ordinary composting. You end up with two components: The solid pre-compost and the liquid bokashi tea. The tea needs to be drained from the bin regularly so the excess liquid doesn’t impede the fermentation process, which is why bokashi bins have a spigot at the bottom.
Does it really have no smell?
Yes and no. If the bin or bucket you’re using has a good seal on it, you won’t smell it while the bin is closed. However, the fermenting stuff inside and the liquid that comes off it smell absolutely vile, and you will smell it when you open the bin or drain the liquid.
Do I need to use the bokashi bran?
All the companies selling bokashi stuff say you do and it helps the process along and whatever. But never trust marketing. I’ve done full bins with a lot of the bran, some with a little bran, and some with none at all, and I’ve noticed no difference. You can try the bran and see if it works better for you, but if you don’t have any or don’t want to buy more you don’t have to.
Do I need a specific bokashi bin?
It’s definitely helpful. Bokashi bins are set up with a seal in the top to keep it airtight and seal off any smells, a bottom that tapers down to a spigot for draining off the tea, and a screen to keep the solid stuff from going all the way to the bottom and clogging up the spigot. You could absolutely build your own, but I recommend a similar setup just for ease of use.
What can I put in my bokashi bin?
Anything you would put in regular compost - vegetable scraps, leftovers, eggshells, etc. Moldy food you forgot about in the refrigerator is also great, and since bokashi uses fermentation instead of rotting, even cooked meat can go into the bin. I’ve thrown in everything from paper napkins to whole zucchinis to a compostable toothbrush (although admittedly, that last one took closer to four weeks to fully break down). There’s no need to worry about ratios of anything - the fermentation will do the work for you.
Why use bokashi?
Turn foods scraps into dirt that you can use to grow more food even while living somewhere you can’t have a compost pile. It’s faster than regular compost (a full bucket takes two weeks of fermenting and two weeks of being buried until it’s done), there’s no smell when the lid is closed, and a lot of bins will fit under a kitchen sink. It’s great for apartments, rentals, and small spaces.
The one downside is that it costs a little more to buy a bokashi bin than it does to just throw some old vegetables in a pile. (I got my bin on eBay for about $50, and many of the name-brand ones are more expensive.) But I live in an apartment, and bokashi composting lets me still have the benefits of turning my food waste into good dirt that I can use to grow more food without needing a yard to put in a full compost bin. That makes it worth the investment for me.
- Mod J
