Bokashi Blast-off!

I really had no intention of doing Bokashi when I started out on this composting quest.  In fact, I had never even heard of it. Now – just from what I have read these past months, I am a staunch convert.  As of last week, I have my recommended pair of Bokashi bins, brand new and looking very smart. I am pleased to say that they are small enough to sit discreetly in a corner of my kitchen, so no one who may be less enthusiastic than me can say a word!

2 bins, 2 lids,2 drain plates, 2 taps with fittings, a bag of bran containing EM’s, a scoop, a paddle for pressing down the waste.

Here is what arrived in the parcel which was delivered by courier. There are plenty of on-line suppliers of these bins.  I chose this one because it was a bit cheaper than the others. Could have been a mistake, we shall see. However, the ordering and delivery went without a hitch. A bit of a wait, as it had to come from Leeds. Amazon would  probably be faster, but there you are. In the box, we found all the accessories that had been promised. Bins, lids, drain plates, taps, EM inoculated bran, a scoop, a paddle and instructions, both for fitting the taps and for ‘doing’ Bokashi.

Waste for the Bokashi Bin

It was all very straightforward. I fitted the tap with no trouble and checked for possible leaks as it said to do in the instructions. No problems there. All that was left to do was to drop in the drain plate and start adding my carefully saved scraps. Vegetable peelings, apple cores, orange and chicken skins.

My First Batch

I had read that  a good idea was to sprinkle some bran over the base before adding waste. I did this, but really without conviction, as the base plate is full of drain holes and most of the bran seemed to fall through.  I  then added my bits, sprinkling them with the bran as I went. Using the paddle supplied I compressed the whole mass in order to get rid of as much oxygen and as many ‘gaps’ as possible. Actually, in retrospect, I think that I should have added more bran. When I open it, if it looks a bit Yeuchhhh!, I will give it another scoopful.

Covered with a plastic bag to make sure that little or no oxygen gets in.

To finish, I followed another on-line tip. I covered the waste with a plastic bag before administering the final bit of pressure. This is supposed to help in keeping  out any oxygen too. I understand that some retailers supply a plastic sheet to do this job. (Slipped up there!)

I am really looking forward to seeing just how good this system is. I plan to run a worm farm as well, as I think they would work well together. Veg, fruit, etc for the worms and meat, dairy etc for the EM’s. The worms will eat some of the finished product, then any excess along with their castings will go into the garden and the out-door compost. The whole thing will make a grand circle.  I’ll let you know what happens.