Bokashi Instead of Hot Compost

I prefer Bokashi fermentation over hot composting of kitchen waste for a number of reasons, which I'll outline here. I'll also show you how the system works, and how to build your own DIY Bokashi bucket system.
If you want o know how to prepare your own bokashi bran, here's my follow-up video: • Bokashi Bran Recipe - ...
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[@ShurikB93]

Are you telling us that white fragility is real?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

It's been a while since I made the video - just out of curiosity, what part did you take as a comment on white fragility?

[@ShurikB93]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm white buckets tend to be less robust and break easily.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Lol! Seriously

[@KevinSmith-dq9tz]

🤣😂🤣

[@lunatuna79]

LOL awesome

[@Myth8Anthropology]

I like the gamma seal lid idea. If I'm not mistaken, the reason why the orange buckets last longer the standard lid is because the plastic is more malleable ... which also means that it's not food grade because the ingredient in plastics that makes them more flexible is highly volatile and so could wind up getting into your compost.

[@michaelcooney7687]

Exceptionally well delivered… I’ve been on the bokashi bash all day and your one stands out as most professionally presented.. thankyou

[@barbll000]

This was excellent. Now I understand the process. Glad you included the link to this video in the other one :) Looks like only a small handful of the "seed" or culture of the prepared bran is needed to add to the bucket.

[@yunfeiwu55]

Thanks a lot, Jason! I got two buckets already, haha,waiting for the my inoculant ready to use now! It really helps to solve my problem. My hot compost pile got smelly quite often.

[@lykacabatay9343]

this was a very helpful tutorial! I’m trying to do bokashi composting to ammend my rooftop garden with homemade compost and to reduce our kitchen waste. This was a very good intro! Subscribing.

[@VickiSchwarz]

Next level! Nice video

[@garthwunsch]

Interesting video. Bokashi is anaerobic, with beneficial lactobacillus anaerobes. One needs to keep this in mind when applying the finished material. Once released into the wild, and if the product stays in a buried single heap, I think you’re running a risk of other anaerobes developing… think E. coli. I would spread the product out and not bury it so deeply. It needs exposure to lots of oxygen to promote the development of aerobic bacteria. the two cannot live in the same environment, and when the area is aerobic, the anaerobes will sporulate or die.be very careful with the “tea”. It is an anaerobic leachate and if applied undiluted, can actually kill your plants. I would dilute it at least 100:1 These teas can be really harmful to humans, plants, and soil life. The PH can be down around 2.5. I intend to add my bokashi to a thermophilic compost pile… in relatively small quantities. BTW, Dr. Elaine Ingham, founder of the Soil Foods Web a school teaches that ANYTHING organic can be safely composted… if one knows how to make a true BioComplete thermophilic compost. the problem is that most well intentioned gardeners don’t understand the fine details of achieving a healthy end result. Full disclosure - I’m presently enrolled as one of her students. Most students struggle with their first few piles to get a BioComplete compost recipe with the full range of microbial life to ensure complete nutrient cycling. If you don’t have the predators (amoebae, flagellates and nematodes), then the cycling is not happening. Pathogens, including E. coli, cannot survive a proper compost… and I now understand that I’ve made a lot of inferior compost in my fifty odd years of home gardening. There is only one sure way to know what’s in your compost… either you or someone else look at it under a microscope! The SFW school has graduated quite a few certified lab technicians in the USA, but only a couple in Canada so far, who can look at your submitted sample and let you know what’s there.

[@cowboyblacksmith]

Finally, someone who suggests mixing the bokashi with soil as it’s integrated into the ground, it matters. It breaks down much more quickly and is better dispersed.

[@oraclewyrd2639]

Thank you for sharing!!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

My pleasure

[@Dee_Cee227]

Extremely useful video. You're doing Lord's work Jason. Thank you so much!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@dbmgna3951]

Thank you.

[@eronhonez]

Best explanation of how to Bokashi! Thank you!

[@tamnelson1388]

Got my Home Depot buckets today….Thank You for this idea/video. Going to make my own bokashi fermenter too - purchased molasses and looking for cheap organic bran.

[@amysnipes4245]

Or rice hulls or shredded paper..

[@patriciancube394]

Very interesting video. Thanks for sharing.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

My pleasure!

[@emilybh6255]

Have you tried just the Bokashi anaerobic composting in a bucket w/o worrying about separating out the liquids? SD Microbes maintains you can just sprinkle on the bran/grains onto layers of the food wastes into a 5 gallon bucket and keep that as air tight as possible while loading it up. When it is full, they say it only needs to sit a few more weeks before you can add it to your garden .

[@aaronmr7943]

Really good video!!!! thank you so so much!!!!!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

My pleasure. Thanks for the encouragement

[@sarahhayhurst9944]

What a fantastic alternative to hot composting! I've been looking for this exact system since I started gardening because I just don't have the space for the traditional home compost, so thank you very, very much. I was wondering what you do with the run off - can that be used in the garden in any way?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

You can definitely pour it off into the garden with no harm, but it doesn't really add much in the way of benefits.

[@MorganBrown]

Nice and informative summary. It’s hard to find that in the world of Bokashi! The gamma lid looks interesting. I’ve been running a two bucket Bokashi setup for about a year and like it. It’s funny, I had a Lowe’s bucket with a big crack in the bottom...voila, a Bokashi bucket! I transfer to a single bucket when the main fermenter fills. Funny aside: I was dumping the Bokashi juice (for lack of a better word) in the grass. It did a fantastic job of killing the grass! I buried the pickled Bokashi and dug it up a month later. It was interesting what didn’t break down: mango skins, orange peels. Maybe things that are resistant to acidity? One thing I’ve been meaning to try is Bokashi in a larger container, say a 27 gallon bin, and trying to break down sticks, roots, tough stalks, etc - the stuff that’s hard to compost. Everyone seems to do Bokashi in the 5 gallon buckets but I see no reason why a larger vessel wouldn’t work. The hot compost that I use for greenhouse heating is exclusively leaves, shredded paper, and coffee grounds. The new greenhouse compost rig has stayed above 120 degrees for about a month without much maintenance, so I’m pleased. Was having to turn last year’s pile about once every 2 weeks. I have a separate pile for composting weeds, Bokashi, dog 💩, etc. that pile may sit there for a couple years!

[@agustasister5624]

You should do a video

[@agustasister5624]

You should.do.a.video.on.it...i collect.about 2.gallons of veggie waste a week...i would need to have three going at least.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Morgan. I've enjoyed your vids on greenhouse heating, and I'm spit-balling a little geothermal system for my own greenhouse - at this point probably for next year.

[@MorganBrown]

Agusta Sister do you mean a video on the large Bokashi bin? I have a few 27 gallon bins from a failed experiment on minimum hot compost bin size (kids science fair). 😂

[@MorganBrown]

Fraser Valley Rose Farm nice! I bet you have more space and heavy machinery. I have neither, so it keeps my geothermal adventures pretty tame.

[@kshilkit]

Thank you for sharing this video! Do you still bury your full bucketloads outside in the winter or can you wait until spring?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Sure, the buckets can keep. I do bury them as weather allows, but if it's frozen (or just unpleasant), just add more buckets, keep them in a cool place, and bury the whole lot in spring!

[@sunnyfedorick5994]

Very interesting, but perhaps I missed - where do you get the Bokashi bran from?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Sunny. You didn't miss it... I did! Initially, I got the bran locally (Otter Co-op) but later made a big batch of my own from EM purchased thru Organic Gardeners Pantry. For those in the US, I'm not sure all the local sources, but I listed one supplier through my Amazon store (link in description)

[@instert94]

Good video! Plain and simple explanation! One question tho, is the bokashi also suitable to throw into a worm bin, or won't that serve any purpose? And you bury the bokashi afterwards, but won't it just continue to compost in the ground? Is this designed to enhance the quality of your soil over time? Or a better way to put it, maintain the quality of the soil?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks. Yes, once buried, the fermented food waste will continue to break down. While it's breaking down, it becomes less acidic and does feed worm populations. The finished product adds stable organic matter to the soil over time, for sure. I think if you tried to put the bokashi directly into a worm bin, the high acidity wouldn't be great for the worms.

[@Steinninn]

That's a much better bokashi bucket then the 100$ designated bokashi bucket they are trying to sell you at the store. Just make your own. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

You're welcome, and thanks for the feedback!

[@TheTrueabundance]

This sounds like fermenting rather than pickling😊

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Yes. Well, you can get a pickle a couple of different ways: fermentation or vinegar bath.

[@dilaur2983]

thank you for all your info...wondering if dog and cat manure can be added to bokashi bucket

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

The big concern I've hear about using cat/dog waste in (any) compost system has been the possibility of pathogens remaining in the resulting compost - and then being applied to soil where veggies are grown. I can't say that bokashi would solve that concern, but so long as you're not burying it in your veggie garden, I don't see why not.

[@AfterEarthHuman]

Due to pathogens you can't add their feces but you could safely add the dog or cat.

[@campdavidsonfunctionaltrai8583]

Does the winter cold temps kill Bokashi microbes? In the ground or the bucket? Also you dug a hole and put everything in one space? Why? don't you want to add to rows and bury into the rows?

[@heatheringram2976]

During the winter I can have lots of snow and my ground is often frozen. Can I accumulate buckets in my garage and dig it all in in the spring? Just wondering the cost of possible 10 buckets for a family of four. Love your videos

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Yes, I definitely store the buckets until spring if the ground is frozen or covered. After the initial fermentation step (at indoor temps) it's actually been no problem to put the buckets to a cooler place to store until spring.

[@user-hi7jv8rq2y]

What type of Bokashi Bran do you recommend?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I generally make up my own to save on costs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYaoh6hpZ9eWr7Msi=FJ8FXs1isnYYiuV_

[@dbo23gaming]

Hi, have you ever considered using a spray inoculate rather than that of bran? If so which promoted more soil fertility?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

The bran is useful for my purposes because I'm doing the composting (or fermenting) of food scraps, and the bran keeps stable for a long time and is easy to apply. I haven't tried using the lactobacillus in my soil, and I'm not sure the evidence supports it, but if you were going to do so, I don't see the bran as necessary - just go with the liquid.

[@HoaNguyen-im8uj]

Can we do bokashi compost in the winter

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Yes. I do it all winter. If the ground is too frozen, I just hold up and start an extra bucket or two to hold until I have warmer weather to dig in.

[@PaithanNL]

Question if I put on another bucket with potting soil and but my storaged bokashi with it, will I get a kinda potting soil after a month or so, for indoors from it? Don't have a back yard and planting lettuce indoors in little yoghurt pots.

[@amysnipes4245]

Look into a soil factory.

[@jessicasherman1510]

Can I had kefir whey instead of the whey you made to the making of the bokashi?

[@marky2A]

Thank you for the very interesting Bokashi method of composting. I want to try this. However. I live in an area where the population of racoons is exceptionally high. Have you, or anyone else out there, had any issues with racoons going after the buckets or the buried compost? I definitely want to try this method. If nothing else, it would be a way to attract more racoons to my trap, but I hope this is not the case. I certainly want to be more earth friendly.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Mark. I've had some rodents (skunk, I think, actually) go after the buried compost on occasion. Not every time, but it's annoying when it happens.

[@VickiSchwarz]

Have you put any videos together that follow up on this? I would love to see the soil sites where you have used Bokashi. I was also interested in the fact that you called the whole 'mess' Bokashi. If you think of Bokashi as the culture in the bran, then the fermented product should definitely be called Bokashi. Would also love to see what your soil looks like 5 feet away from this site. Also with a PH meter. I keep thinking that if Bokashi 'takes' in the local area, it will need something to symbiosis with or the land around it. Bokashi will try taking over the soil nearby. If you consider this desirable, you could hoe then sow a line of this bran and bury it and leave it. This could be a cool experiment. Creating culture highways.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks. Interesting points. I haven't done that kind of testing, but I think the lactobacillus bacteria returns to some sort of balance with the general soil biology after the food waste has broken down. I know that some agricultural research has gone into the application of EM1 (the proprietary version of the microbes) and had difficulty finding any kind of consistent results that would show a change in soil biology.

[@garthwunsch]

I think his soil five feet away should be very similar to what you see in the hole. The PH is pretty irrelevant in most soils as plants determine what PH it needs and it changes all along the root length. It is indeed heavy looking ground. I strongly suspect there’s a pretty good compaction layer. A non-scientific compaction meter is simply to take a 1/4” bamboo stake and see how far you can push it into the ground. After ten years of no-till gardening and promoting a healthy soil biome, I can send the stake as deep as I have soil -2’… and then I hit bedrock LOL. It is the microbial life that de-flocculates (separates the clay particles) the clay and allows water, air and root penetration, meaning you no longer have a compaction layer. Rain enters the ground and goes deep, not running off laterally when it hits the compaction layer… result - you no longer have to water as much because the plant roots can go deep (they can’t penetrate a compaction layer) and find their own water.

[@sandeepshetty5642]

How many days (minimum) should food scraps stay in bucket before transferring to soil? I fill my bucket in just 2 days, it's not enough time for the scraps to breakdown/pickle, I think.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I try to ferment for between 2 and 3 weeks - but I fill a bucket in one week. So I have a rotation of 4 or 5 buckets (just in case I get a bit busy). I'm not sure how many (or a larger container) would make sense for you if you're filling so quickly.

[@residenceemerod5080]

Hi Jason, is the Gamma seal airtight enough?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

You bet.

[@JuanaPray333]

Hi thank you for your simple video. My question is, I filled up my bucket less than a week ago. I opened it and I saw small white worms eating away the vegetable. Is that alright?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Looks like some flies have laid eggs. It's a bit gross, but won't impact the fermentation process.

[@knassiri5600]

Do you know if it is really necessary to drain the liquid? Aside from the more pungent smell you get when you keep the "tea" in the bucket with the food scraps, why not just one bucket? I ask, because this is how I've been doing it for the last six months. Admittedly, I'm new to this, but my single bucket system appears to do the same thing as the draining method---I'm left with only small traces of food scraps in my soil after three or four weeks (hard to break down scraps like avocado pits and chicken bones) Regardless, whichever bokashi method one employs, considering the simplicity of the process and how much waste is diverted from the trash bin, I'm really surprised it isn't a more popular method for composting.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Good question! I've done the double bucket since the beginning, not wanting to take the chance that things would "go wrong" - I read that having too much liquid in the bucket would change the balance of bacteria from what's inoculated in the bran. In practice, so long as I'm not dumping in a full soup pot or liquidy kitchen scraps, I find I don't really even have to worry about emptying the bottom bucket. When the bokashi is ready to bury, I have 3cm of liquid to dump too. Likewise, on a couple of occasions when I ran out of bran after the bucket was only half filled, the batch turned out okay. So far, the system seems to be quite forgiving. This kind of makes sense, since it's relying on fermentation bacteria that are already present, and don't need air. Am I going to stop using bran or go down to a single bucket? No, because I have a feeling that even one spoiled batch would be rather unpleasant, and it really isn't much extra money or effort to follow the standard method. But good to know it's got some room for error and can still come out okay.

[@bdee1084]

How long have you left it before emptying

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

At the longest I've left it for 3 months or so during the cold of winter

[@constancelovejoy7308]

I have found the commercial Bokashi buckets work better in keeping. anaerobic environment and fermenting food waste. 😊

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks. I've always done it with the DIY buckets, and wondered how the commercial ones perform.

[@wildliferox2]

Was thinking the same. As the bokashi compost ends up back in the soil, and supports growth of plants that I or my descendants might eat, I figure food grade HDPE containers/buckets is the way to go.

[@glory_gate]

DIY probiotic( EM ) is used routinely in agriculture of the East .The Language might be a barrier to follow their strategies but it'll save your wallet a lot .

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I did read this early on - that the early EM research was done for agriculture more than for home composting. Thanks. I need to look at this again.

[@alicenakajima6014]

How do you handle the 2 buckets sticking to each other making it really difficult to separate them for draining leachate?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Alice - sorry I can't help - I haven't had that problem yet.

[@alicenakajima6014]

Fraser Valley Rose Farm i take it that these orange HD buckets don’t stick together when they are full then? I should try getting some then. Thank you.

[@zaklloyd4335]

Could you not use sawdust in the bottom of a single bucket to absorb juices and save the hassle of buying two and drilling ???

[@amysnipes4245]

I use 2" cross cut paper, then add a round cooling rack, more paper. Then scraps, paper, bokashi bran or spray. The paper does a great job of absorbing liquid. I use a single bucket, no spout. I'm only on my first bucket but after 3 layers, 2 weeks, no rotten smell.

[@michaels9926]

Do you know if you can activate the EM1 solution and use that activated solution to make more by adding it to more water and mollassis?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Michael. So here's the way I understand it: when you buy in an EM liquid, they're selling a controlled mix of microbes - and the first generation activated solution is relatively sure to have the right balance of different types. When you use that solution to make a "2nd generation" batch, some of the faster growing microbes may become more dominant in the mix. I don't know how that would change the performance of the resulting bokashi bran, because I haven't tried it. I bet it would be okay - I see some people making their own "rice water" starter. I guess it depends on how comfortable you are experimenting with it. If you try, let me know how it works out, will you?

[@-ecologically9794]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm If you activate it yourshelf, you can add double molases, to make it stronger. But continuing from a ready, i have never seen. I would be afraid to do it too. I would start a new mother culture rather. To continue a mother culture YES i ve done it. The second one is even better. Although i wonder if all the thre benef. bacrertia continue to grow the same when you continue the mother culure with more milk. So i start new rice washes, and dont redo more than 3-4 times max. The second i think is the best.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

@@-ecologically9794 Thanks so much for your insight. I don't have any experience starting my own mother culture from rice water/milk. It's good to know that you have been successful.

[@NancyTroutman]

I have clay soil and is more appropriate for making bricks than growing things. I actually use a drill to break up my soil to dig into it. I cannot find any information on if Bokashi will help clay soil. Is Bokashi the way to go?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi, sorry but not really. Additions of organic matter can sometimes help improve soil structure, so I guess it wouldn't hurt, but I don't think bokashi will help any more than other compost, manure or organic amendments.

[@TheRealHonestInquiry]

Mustards as a cover crop, especially Daikon Radish, is one of the best for breaking up clay soil. They have massive taproots, don't harvest them just let them rot in the ground and you will have better and better soil every time you do this

[@garypickering5899]

Is the liquid that drains into the bottom bucket bokashi tea that can be diluted and sprayed on lawns. Thanks.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Gary. Some people claim benefits to the liquid, but nothing really proven. I toss it out in the garden, but haven't seen any benefit.

[@PrettyAliceNight]

Interesting you say the white buckets break easier because I find the orange ones break much easier and faster. I’ve been using the same white one for 3 years and the 2 orange ones didn’t even last a year.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Yeah, must be a lot of different plastics out there. So far, the orange ones have been good for me - while the white went brittle. Good to know.

[@solshinegrowing9509]

Lots of different types of white buckets... I use food grade heavy duty ones frosting came in arriving at the Safeway bakery

[@fredmanfv]

So for my garden I would need about a 100 buckets...get it?

[@maureenmckenzielueder5942]

This is almost as good as what we do. We just dig a hole in the garden, put our compost scraps in there and put a couple of big rocks on top of it. We keep a little silver bucket that I bought off Amazon in the house. When that gets full we just fill the hole in the backyard in the garden and we’re done. This way I don’t have to deal with bearing a whole lot of waste from a giant compost bin. It’s easy to take small holes all over the garden and it takes five minutes to get rid of it.

[@wiktorpoliszczuk1372]

I like your idea ,very simple , very smart and easy

[@kanehbosm8222]

So could i just mix this with my organic soil i use for my garden vegetables? If So at what rate Ex: 1 cup per 1 gallon of soil? thanks great vid.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Kaneh. Sorry, but I just use it for compost and not in the garden, so I don't know what rate to recommend. Anyone else?

[@kanehbosm8222]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Thanks for the prompt reply. I just happen to see someone add a 1/2 cup of bokashi to 4" pot and had a increase of yield by nearly 20%.

[@MsFly999]

I heard you can burried it into where you wanted to grow veggies then wait 2weeks before plant anything

[@amysnipes4245]

Look into a "soil factory".

[@MonikaPatel25]

Does it compost cotton rags rotton cloth ?

[@valeriecaputa713]

Supposedly anything that had been alive can be put in to bokashi. So 100% plant based fabric should be okay. A blend of cotton and polyester would not be okay but cotton, wool, silk etc would be.

[@mazztech]

Do you find your buckets are difficult to separate when you need to empty the liquid?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

No, I haven't had that problem.

[@terriooi]

Can I use a slightly bigger round basin to sit the bucket in it to collect the juice, does it work the same?

[@BraWayne]

Hi Jason. What do you do with the excess liquid? Is it something that you can use or do you simply dispose of it? Thanks.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I dispose of the liquid.

[@EnvyAbomination]

Make more bokashi bran from it. It should be the same innoculant I imagine. Over here in the Philippines, people mix it with water and sugar as a compost accelerator. For example, you can bury food scraps in a trench, cover it with bokashi, bury it with soil and water the soil. Should be ready to plant in after two weeks. But that's with our hot and humid weather here near the equator.

[@aishahyusof4928]

Don't throw it away. You can dilute it and water your plants with the solution. Same concept as bioenzymes. At least that's what I gain from other videos. I plan to practise this in the near future.

[@KevinSmith-dq9tz]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Jason, why on earth throw that juice out ? It is so full of beneficial bacteria. Like making any other fermented juices. At the least it should go in your teas that you make and feed with. It is seriously supercharged goodness. Love your videos and shared knowledge. Keep up the good work.

[@Elitecommando501]

Do you NEED bokashi bran in order for it to work? I can't find bokashi bran in my area.

[@humbllbug]

you can make your own or buy on amazon

[@smuot7635]

I'm just wondering, where do you put the compost from the bucket in winter time when the ground is frozen 6 feet down for almost half of the year?🤔

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Yikes. Might not be right for your situation, but after the initial fermenting step, the bokashi waste could certainly be stored in a larger holding container until spring. I know someone who does this in a freezer - though in your situation, I guess mother nature would do the freezing if you moved the bokashi waste to a secure container outside.

[@amorale28]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Can we just put the bokashi waste in a traditional hot composter?

[@pendragon_cave1405]

@@amorale28 yes, you can. The bokashi website has a FAQ explaining that you can put the bokashi into hot or cold compost.

[@susanthomson3617]

Can you just add this to your old hot compost bin instead of digging into the soil ? In Canada the ground is frozen for months

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Sure. I've seen it done that way.

[@vonkajay]

Great video Thanks. Do you have to dig a hole every time you need to put the compost. i am a novice, but with hot composting we just spread as top soil.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi vonkajay - yes, it needs to be buried to complete the composting process. When it finishes fermentation, it's just "pickled" so it needs some additional time with soil organisms to break down.

[@daciasdiy1861]

I tried putting my food safe lid and rim on my bucket and u tv didn’t work, i have the exact buckets hmm

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Yeah, I wonder what the difference is. Mine were fairly difficult to fit on (the outer rim took some force) but they eventually worked fine.

[@cathleencaratan3373]

Would burying your bokashi in spent soil from Container gardening be a good way to give it new life? Can you bury the bokashi in your hot compost pile?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Cathleen - sure, either way would be fine. When finished the fermentation step, the food scraps tend to compost fairly quickly if added to a compost pile.

[@cathleencaratan3373]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Thank you. I’m in a suburban situation and do mostly raised bed and container gardening.

[@isabellegerson512]

"I guess this is what it looks like."

[@anotheryogateacher8499]

great video! can i use bokashi to compost dog poop? or even people poop?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I'm not really sure - it's beyond what I've seen recommended. Maybe someone else will be able to answer in these comment.

[@manoharsagunthalla9215]

How to make bokashi bron?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I've made it with a starter liquid (EM) - ordered (in Canada) from Gardener's Pantry. I know that some people make their own with lactobacillus serum they make with rice wash. I haven't tried it myself, but there's lots of info on KZbin about making your own.

[@umu-i-d2785]

Is there a way to do this without the fancy bran that has to be purchased?

[@aldilamahaswarienkhaputri8911]

You can use straw,or rice husk or dried weeds from your backyard. Just make sure there are no weed seeds there. Have fun !

[@aldilamahaswarienkhaputri8911]

Forgot to mention straw must be dried well too. And its better if you will cut it well and weeds aswell.

[@amysnipes4245]

@@aldilamahaswarienkhaputri8911 I use shredded paper. Works fine.

[@jacobjamar]

That looks like vermiculite which would make a casing layer for the living underneath

[@hansgruetzenbach3945]

Can you use alfalfa pellets or meal instead of wheat bran? It's a lot cheaper.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I haven't tested alfalfa for it. I know alfalfa is a lot more "green" than most of the other "brown" carbon-rich recommendations for the flakes, so I wonder if it might break down too much and turn to slime/paste rather than the dry stable flakes I use from bran.

[@hansgruetzenbach3945]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm thanks

[@wayneessar7489]

Wheat Bran from a store selling horse feed may be cheaper for you.

[@ritajones9984]

@@wayneessar7489 Bokashi bran is infused with bacteria, it’s not just plain bran. The bran is just a carrier for the lacto bacillus bacteria that breaks down the waste material.

[@wayneessar7489]

@@ritajones9984 He showed how to make the lacto bacillus infusion, I only suggested a cheaper source for the carrier, ie: not bran for muffins but bran for bran mashes for horses as a laxative.

[@dilaur2983]

has anyone tried mash from a beer factory as the starter and if so does it work? thanks

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I think I read elsewhere in the comments that someone had used spent grains with success.

[@dilaur2983]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm thank you ...i really appreciate your youtube site...you provide very helpful info...

[@Myth8Anthropology]

Theres a company in San Diego called SD Microbes that sells inoculated spent beer mash for Bokashi.

[@ourth]

What if there are any pathogens in the compost.. wont they survive in the cold compost and further contaminate the garden it is added to

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

The pickling step makes the food waste quite acidic - and more favorable an environment for just a small group of bacteria. I can't say whether there are some pathogens that survive the process. I know that humans have been safely pickling food storage and later consumption, so I draw the conclusion that the pickling (if it works, I guess) gets rid of pathogens to some degree.

[@ourth]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm as you know most of the pathogens are gram negative in nature, many of them also classified into lactose fermentors ie when they are grown on to MacConkey's agar, the ferment the lactose in it and shift the pH to acidic which is evident by these bacterial colonies appearing pinkinsh in colour. So dont u think it may actually increase the pathogenic load

[@laukdaun114]

do we need the bran? can we just spray the EM liquid directly onto the food scraps? also can the em liquid mixed with regular white sugar instead of molasses?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

You can do it directly. The bran is just a convenient way to store the bacterial starter over a long time.

[@amysnipes4245]

I add cross cut shredded paper before and after scraps, then apply spray.

[@bobsmith-ud9xi]

The only thing I wouldn't compost is pet waste

[@lolitabonita08]

I put orange and lemon that went rotten...pretty much everything except meat or bone (bone i cook them and grind them for bone meal) meat will attract my dogs to dig and rats and other critters...

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks!

[@squil35]

I just Bokashi-ed for the first time. Something went very wrong. Initially it was ok, I would drain the leachate from my bucket, and it was ok. Then it turned so nasty, dear heavens, what a stench. I **stupidly** took it outside to dump in my tumbler, and the smell... not sure how I am going to handle this. I am not on a farm, my neighbor’s window is a few feet away. It’s frozen now, but in the spring I’m going to have a smell emerging from that tumbler comparable to a landfill. No idea how to proceed.

[@joanneleong5332]

Maybe try adding a lot more carbon (browns) and some native soil to it.

[@amysnipes4245]

☹ good luck!

[@iansorrell4796]

Can't one just have multiple buckets going in case of a bad batch and use the liquid to inoculate the next batch instead of buying more bokashi?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Ian, I haven't tried inoculating with the drained fluid - so I can't tell you if it would work. The microbes in the Bokashi bran are selected (I'm told - but other sources say it's just mainly lactobacillus, like you could isolate from plain rice water) for a quick and complete "pickling" of the food waste. The runoff may or may not contain the same balance of microbes. I don't go through a ton of bran, and it's not too expensive when you make it yourself from a starter liquid - so I haven't experimented too much with it.

[@iansorrell4796]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Thank you for your speedy reply.

[@rkh7904]

I am a little surprised to see the food you put in the hole wasn't what I would call fully broken down. I wonder if you then have problems with animals digging it up?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Not so much. It seems that the fermenting step makes it less attractive to field mice (which we do get around here) - sometimes a larger animal (like a dog) will take an interest and dig it up, but that's about it.

[@esparzaphoto]

Are rodents a problem with this method (once you bury it)?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I've had a couple of problems with skunks of all things, when I've buried too shallow. We do have field mice on the farm, but they don't seem to bother with it.

[@coleweede1953]

Could you add worms in there

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Not really - all the conditions are to favor the bacteria, and I'm pretty sure that at the pickling stage, the worms wouldn't survive.

[@luxm514]

Its alo anaerobic meaning no oxygen worms need oxygen.

[@claud1542]

great vid!! i just started doing bokashi. the only thing is, is that i don't like disturbing my soil by digging up my garden beds and burying it. Are you able to add it to a cold compost bin? I heard that you have to allow it to digest in some carbon materials in order to drop the acidity so the worms can get at it. thanks again

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Yes, you can add to compost (hot or cold) to complete the process

[@itsasickness4939]

You can also make a “soil generator” so once it’s done you can top dress. That’s what I do. I practice “No dig” as well. I have several 30 gallon nursery pots that I fill 1/3 with homemade compost, dump a bucket or two of bokashi and mix well, then top off with more compost and let it sit on the ground for a couple months (some people just use leaves but I think that would take much longer). When I dump them out to top dress, the amount of worms in it will blow your mind. The results are amazing. I’ve done pot test with this vs my hot compost and the bokashi growth was almost double. I also love not throwing out any sort of food scraps. It all goes in.

[@KavorkaDesigns]

Just use one bucket and put it in the ground like your doing. I see no difference in the day you put it in and the day it entered the soil..

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

No, you're right, it's like the difference between shredded cabbage and sauerkraut. Visually pretty similar. I will say that the fermented food waste does break down in the soil quite quickly once buried, and the mice seem to have little interest. On the other hand, when I used to add fresh food scraps to my yard waste, it definitely attracted rodents.

[@photojoebill1989]

why just use the one bucket? saw someone else make a similar comment on another video, but not sure why. Thanks!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I don't want to speak for the questioner, and I could be wrong, but I assume he or she is saying to skip the fermentation step and just do trench composting with the fresh food scraps. I think the fermentation period is helpful, and it works well for me, but I could see why some people would be skeptical.

[@michaelgavin7621]

I don’t know about this. But sure.

[@inahogg8612]

N h

[@daniellebailey6802]

Is it weird that I think my bucket smells delicious? Lol

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

To each their own (nose!). Lol.

[@rickallen9167]

Ummm...."dispose of the liquid in the first bucket..Would you dispose of the liquid produced by steeping your teabag? If end of the video is the end product, then judging by it's state it is a very poor method. If it is not the end product and simply the material from the beginning of the video, then at worst it is misleading and at best is not providing empirical evidence.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

If you're looking for finished compost to come out of the bucket stage, this is a very poor method. If you're looking for a pickup truck, an Austin Mini is a very poor vehicle. What I'm expecting in the bucket is fermentation (lacto-fermentation mainly). In the same way that shredded cabbage looks pretty similar to sauerkraut, unfermented kitchen wast looks pretty similar to fermented kitchen waste. It has a slight reduction in volume (like 10 or 15%) and smells "pickled". It's no longer very attractive to rodents in my experience, so I can bury it in the garden where it is composted quite quickly. If I dig later in the same spot, I find a few bones, a darker colored soil, and lots of earthworms in the surrounding area. I'm not looking to "prove it" to you - but rather describe the method and my opinion of it. Try it or don't. There's nothing misleading in my presentation (except maybe that those Gamma lids are a lot harder to install than I wanted to struggle with on camera) . As for the disposal of the runoff - I'd argue that it's a little different than the "tea" example, in that the runoff is not the intended product of the method. Some people have claimed benefits to it, others have been reasonably skeptical. I make no claim, and it's not all that important to me. The small amount of liquid byproduct gets dumped out in my garden, and if it has any benefit, I'm okay with that. If not, I had no expectations anyhow. Here's one good explanation of the method: www.naturalmomsblog.com/bokashi-composting-myths-misconceptions.html and here's a second one from a skeptic's point of view: www.gardenmyths.com/bokashi-composting-myths/ You may note that this second article takes issue with the "overselling" of the bokashi method more than anything else, and particularly with overstating the benefits of the "juice". Myself, I just like it for convenience and reduced time vs. managing a hot pile.

[@rickallen9167]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm ok...thanks...except wanting to buy a vehicle from a dealer only to be told at the end of your visit "we only deal in pick-up trucks" is hardly informative. Nowhere in your presentation at any time do you expunge on the process even slightly as to the expected results whom many I expect like myself, confused aerobic with your anabolic methods. The fact is your having to explain more clearly now, ergo other people including mydelf may not have understood. Misleading without intent is still misleading. And personally, if tea is generally accepted as beneficial, in whatever form it takes, then I would use it. It may well be we have been misinformed and it is not beneficial. It certainly is not beneficial if we "throw" it away. That's why we're in the trouble we are in today...everything is throwaway. By the way, what keeps the bottom bucket airtight and therefore odour free and the top bucket at just the right height? Thank you.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I thank you for watching the video, and for your comments, but I have a bit of a bone to pick with you on the "misleading" bit. Maybe it's just another case of "No good deed goes unpunished". You: Start out with no information on Bokashi. Me: I take the time and effort to make a video to explain and to answer questions. You: Complain that I didn't "expunge" on the "anabolic" process at all (whatever that means). I could have sworn I said a thing or three about fermenting/pickling in the video. Oh yeah, there it is: at 0:57 through to 1:13, then more at 3:00 to 3:14, again at 3:32, aerobic vs. anaerobic at 4:34, and the need for soil bacteria to complete the breakdown at 9:50. The reason I showed the process from start to finish is exactly so that no one would get the wrong impression - and it worked! When you saw that last shot, it led you to question and to have a better understanding. The answer to you last question is that the buckets nest tightly together with no air space, and they have wider rings at the top 3 or 4 inches, stopping them from nesting all the way to the bottom. Thanks again.

[@hirotakakokubu1268]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Your response to Rich Allen's rather aggressive and sarcastic comments seems to be consistent and calm (cool-headed). You know exactly what you want, whether a family crossover or pickup to buy when you go to a dealer, for instance. Thums up and God bless Canada!

[@amysnipes4245]

@@rickallen9167 I find the bokashi method to be much faster than even hot composting. I use it successfully to build the volume of raised bed soil.