Bokashi for beginners: what is it, and what can it do for me?

[mad librettist]

yes you can, assuming you get the moisture levels right. traditionally, buckets were not even used. You could make a big pile, throw a tarp over it, and cover that with old tires (I think Fista used to make silage that way).

interesting point - if you do use a pile, tarp, and weight, you technically have a primitive silo. Later on people buried their silos, and still later after that, people started building them as above ground towers.

using bran just makes the serum go further and helps manage moisture. It also tends to round out the mix with higher C.

 

[Harry Hoosier]

Thank you Mad! Methinks I'll give both ways a whirl and see how it all turns out.

 

[mad librettist]

if you have a chance... pics please!

 

[Harry Hoosier]

Indeed I will

 

[Dozee]

great thread, been reading a lot on the subject. any one here making custom compost blends? to suit a specific nutrition profile ?

 

[Harry Hoosier]

Greetings and here as promised are pics of my Lacto B experiment.
On Nov 8th I put an inch or so of sawdust in the bottom of a 4 gallon plastic pail(to soak up excess liquid). Next, I filled and packed tightly with a variety of fresh produce. When I finished I poured in approx. 1/32 of a gallon of homemade Lacto B and sealed the bucket.

 

[Harry Hoosier]

Fast forward 3 weeks from then and here is what I find in my 'bokashi bucket'. It was never unsealed for the 3 week duration.

 

[Harry Hoosier]

I suppose the first thing I noticed was the 'pickly, difficult to describe smell. It was not foul or rotten, nor was it pleasant. then of course the fuzzy white mould covering and the fact that the entire contents had settled a third of the way down into the bucket.

I hope this is how this was supposed to end up. Looking forward to feedback as to whether I have achieved a properly fermented end product. If I have this will be my worm feed over the winter months.

Thanks, Harry

 

[Harry Hoosier]

yes you can, assuming you get the moisture levels right. traditionally, buckets were not even used. You could make a big pile, throw a tarp over it, and cover that with old tires (I think Fista used to make silage that way).

interesting point - if you do use a pile, tarp, and weight, you technically have a primitive silo. Later on people buried their silos, and still later after that, people started building them as above ground towers.

using bran just makes the serum go further and helps manage moisture. It also tends to round out the mix with higher C.

Yes, you were correct about getting the moisture level right. I didn't notice until I began digging around in the bucket, that the bottom third was fluid. I had no choice but to dump it on the compost pile. I suppose I need to affix a drain to the bucket or use the two pail system. Oh well, now I have a gallon jug of molasses and lactoB.
Any thoughts on what to do with it?

 

[mad librettist]

I suppose the first thing I noticed was the 'pickly, difficult to describe smell. It was not foul or rotten, nor was it pleasant. then of course the fuzzy white mould covering and the fact that the entire contents had settled a third of the way down into the bucket.

I hope this is how this was supposed to end up. Looking forward to feedback as to whether I have achieved a properly fermented end product. If I have this will be my worm feed over the winter months.

Thanks, Harry

that sounds right. I have left a bucket go for months and months, and the white mold can really get huge, like a couple pounds of it.

 

[mad librettist]

Yes, you were correct about getting the moisture level right. I didn't notice until I began digging around in the bucket, that the bottom third was fluid. I had no choice but to dump it on the compost pile. I suppose I need to affix a drain to the bucket or use the two pail system. Oh well, now I have a gallon jug of molasses and lactoB.
Any thoughts on what to do with it?

spray it on something you want to break down. FOr instance you could mow down a bunch of weeds and spray...

 

[AlexTrebek]

I got terribly lost the first time I read through this.
I've read through a second time and I grasp the concept much better now.

Awesome info madlibrettist!

 

[kb2243]

Just buried my first bucket of bokashi + handfull of worms from my bin. It had a nice layer of white mold. I can't wait to see what it looks like in a month or so.

 

[kb2243]

Just buried my second 5gal bucket of bokashi. Sometime next month I will check the progress of my first batch.

 

[slyman]

if i'm doing a diy bucket do the buckets have to be perfectly clean? jw because i was using the one bucket to dechlorinate tap water and the other just had scraps for the compost pile.

Moderator Edit: Please do not discuss decisions made by ICMag staff. Thank you.
Burn1

 

[Toes.]

Moderator Edit: Please do not discuss decisions made by ICMag staff. Thank you.
Burn1

 

[slyman]

well that's fine but you didn't have to edit my question about bokashi out of it... and honestly that's a bit ridiculous that we can't question anything, i mean how are we supposed to know that power's not being abused but whatever.

 

[BurnOne]

well that's fine but you didn't have to edit my question about bokashi out of it... and honestly that's a bit ridiculous that we can't question anything, i mean how are we supposed to know that power's not being abused but whatever.

I put your post question back up. Sorry about that.
I was trying to stop your discussion before you crossed the line.
Maybe you didn't read the guidelines when you joined here.

9. Banning: People who violate IC Magazine's forum guidelines are subject to banning. Once someone has been banned from the site, we do not allow complaints from other members about it. Once banned, we are done with that individual, and no amount of complaining from other members will help. We do not justify our bans to the general membership. Those who complain about a banishment, are subject to being banned themselves.

It's not up to you to question anything here or keep an eye on the "powers that be".
This was meant to be a friendly redirection. Let this be the end of it.
Burn1

 

[slyman]

ah so really what i did wasn't even against the rules. i wasn't complaining, just wondering.

but now that this is unstickied i feel like it should be added to the organic sticky library thread. i'm not sure why it was unstickied but i hope it doesn't have anything to do with the creator of the thread, there's still a lot of useful info in here and it would be a shame if it was buried and forgotten about

 

[vonforne]

but i hope it doesn't have anything to do with the creator of the thread

Why do you think that Mad?