Composting
Composting is the act of turning your garden and kitchen scraps into a product your plants can use for sustenance.
Traditional composting is done above ground and looks to mimic or
replicate the complex environment that occurs in the leaf matter just
below the forest floor. Within this forest environment live a host of
microbes that effectively break down dead organic matter. Your garden
soil has a similar network of microbes. Bokashi Boost joins forces with these microbes to optimize healthy, fast decomposition.
Composting above ground
As mentioned Bokashi Boost is optimal if buried under the soil in
your garden. However your Bokashi mix also works really well in an above
ground or traditional system. Simply place your fermented Bokashi Boost
food mix directly into your compost bin - this will speed up your
composting process by about 50%.
Why not just bury it?
- You may have run out of room in your garden to bury your Bokashi Boost.
- You may be short on time or motivation and just want to toss your Bokashi Boost mix onto a compost heap.
I have built a bin out of old timber planks, about 1.3m squared. I
use this to compost bulk garden scraps and some lawn clippings. I add
about 3 handfuls of Bokashi Boost mix every time I add a layer of
organic matter. When I add a bucketful of Bokashi Boost food scraps I
cover it over with an old blanket. You can also use Bokashi boost in
your plastic bin compost containers.
If you are going to compost above ground, here are some tips:
Unlike Bokashi Boost, above ground composting requires four components to work effectively.
Nitrogen from green ingredients:
Nitrogen oxidises carbon and is found in green and wet ingredients
such as kitchen scraps, weeds and fresh lawn clippings. This is where
adding your fermented Bokashi Boost food mix is very beneficial. Too
much green creates rot, not compost.
Carbon
This provides heat and comes from matter that is often dry and brown
such as dead leaves, straw, bush trimmings etc. The trick is not to use
to much of this stuff or it will take years to break down.
Oxygen
Remember that Bokashi Boost is an anaerobic process which is why we
use a sealed bucket. However if you are creating an above ground system
you will need to turn your compost heap regularly to get some oxygen
into the mix.
Water
A compost heap should be moist but not too wet. I run my sprinkler
over mine about once a week in the summer, but not at all in winter.
Adding some soil will help to speed up the population increase of good microbes.
Adding a couple of handfuls of Bokashi Boost per layer will greatly increase the health of your compost heap.