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

[mad librettist]

cool, mind if I link to your DIY in the table of contents?

 

[Corpsey]

me? sure, but I am new to this myself, so i will let you know if i am successful.

I followed a recipe on a blog i found while i was looking up bokashi.
http://bokashislope.blogspot.com/2008/09/baby-batches-of-bokashi-bran.html
It stated..

To make one baby batch of EM bokashi bran:

Mix 1 tablespoon molasses into

1 cup warm water. When thoroughly blended, add

1 tablespoon EM-1 inoculant fluid.

Pour into 1 pound wheat bran or other inert carrier and mix well. Seal container and set aside three to four weeks before using; ready when coated with an even layer of white mycelium. DO NOT OPEN TO CHECK ON EM BOKASHI BRAN until at least two weeks have passed (warm season in zone 8b, add time for colder seasons/climes).

*Note: for my bulk bran, 1 pound = 7.2 cups dry. I’m not that precise, seven to seven and a quarter cups works just fine. Mix it in a container that looks about a third again too large for the dry bran, as it will expand as it absorbs water. (One of those plastic 34.5 oz coffee canisters is pretty much ideal.)

I just doubled it and used the lactobacilus serum instead of the EM. I also read about the sea salt in different recipes so used that as well.

2 pounds bran
2 cups hot water
2 tbsp Molasses
2 tbsp lactobacilus
pinch of sea salt

i pack it away in a couple freezer bags and stored those in a huge 10 gallon ziploc to try and keep air out, and in 2-3 weeks open and dry for further storage. That will be in about the next week, im excited to see its progress.

 

[mapinguari]

LAB in bokashi concentration question

LAB in bokashi concentration question

Early in this thread, MadLib wrote:

30mL EM or LAB serum

I've just made LAB with Gil Carandang's method. At the end you mix the serum with molasses, or just put it in the fridge. To use it, though, you dilute it 1:20, then use a few TBs of THAT per gallon for the spray.

So, the question: you mean the more concentrated serum here, right, and not the 1:20 dilution of it, right?

Thanks!

 

[mapinguari]

This study, How Effective are 'Effective Microorganisms (EM)? Results From a Field Study In Temerpate Climate was posted 6 months ago at Science Direct.

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Ackerstrasse
5070 Frick,
Switzerland

The abstract is pretty interesting on a number of points.

Effective microorganisms® (EM) is a microbial inoculant promoted to stimulate plant growth and soil fertility in agriculture. In our study we investigated the effects of EM on crop yields and soil microbial parameters in a 4-year field experiment under organic management (2003–2006) in Zurich, Switzerland.

Treatments of the EM preparations (i) the spraying agent EMA, (ii) EMA with the EM enriched organic substrate Bokashi and (iii) EMA with Bokashi and farmyard manure were applied in each year. As controls to treatments (i)–(iii) the same treatments were included with sterilised EM preparations and a control without EM application.

Crop yields in each year and the soil microbiological parameters soil respiration, microbial biomass (SIR, CFE), dehydrogenase activity and microbial community structure (RISA, CLSU) were determined in spring and autumn 2005 and spring 2006. In laboratory incubation experiments cellulose degradation, N mineralisation potential and N mineralisation from added substrate were determined.

The EMA application as spraying agent alone (treatment (i)) showed no significant differences to the untreated control (treatment without EM application) for any of the investigated parameters. Significant differences to the untreated control for crop yields and soil microbial parameters were found if Bokashi was applied in addition to EMA ((ii) and (iii)).

However, these differences were not consistent throughout the parameters and sampling times. Treatments with living EM compared with its sterilised control treatments showed no differences on any of the parameters. This indicates that the small effects observed were not caused by the EM microorganisms but rather by the nutrient inputs derived from Bokashi. The sampling time showed stronger effects on soil microbial biomass, soil respiration and microbial community structure when compared to the effects of the treatments.

We conclude from our results that ‘Effective microorganisms’ did not improve yields and soil quality during 4 years of application in this field experiment under the temperate climatic conditions of Central Europe.​

CC

Well, a couple of points:
1. they used a commercial product instead of local bacteria;
2. it's not clear if they used EM for a foliar spray, kinda sounds like just a soil drench.

Thanks for the abstract, Clack.

 

[mad librettist]

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

yes I mean straight serum, which is tested and shown to have a pH less than 3.5

 

[mad librettist]

Right now I am working on optimizing the system for apartment dwellers. Step one is finding a solution for the bran. I think I have found the answer. Rather than making large batches and drying them, I will be keeping two one-pound batches of bran going at all times in big sealing coffee containers. I will be using it fresh, not drying it. I am also using much more-expensive-than-wheat rice bran, because it packs more nutrition.

the recipe:

1 tablespoon molasses
1 cup water
1 tablespoon EM.
7.25 cups rice bran

 

[HinduKushed_423]

some ideas i seen recently, using spent coffee grinds,wood sawdust or chips, news paper.

as far as buckets are concerned ya can just use a bucket with out a spigot, some do this by putting absorbent materials in the bottom or not, but nothing would stop on from putting plate over top of bokashi, and pouring off the juice. seems much cheaper and easier to prevent leaks, and use lass buckets to do job.

a blog i found interesting as i already have a kombucha mother brewing
http://reluctantretiree.wordpress.com/2011/02/03/winter-bokashi-update/

 

[MrFista]

Does anyone know where the paper CC's posted abstract came from, I'll take a look at it if I can access it.

EM is best for rubbish soil, imo, once some organic matter, tilth and plants are going I've found compost tea to be superior. BUT, the EM is magic on rubbishy yellow clay to kick start it.

I scraped all the topsoil away from a building site slapped a greenhouse over it and had nothing but rubbish compact yellow clay left on the floor. To add insult to injury I then covered the soil in cracked concrete and let it dry out for years. When I decided to grow there I put the fork into it hard as I could and got 2 inches depth in the best places.

Out came the EM! EM-A watered in, every day for about a week, then I strew all kinds of seeds about and let em fight it out. Suffice it to say a succession of plants has been taking place from brassicas to milk thistles and dandelions to clover and peas and I'm now growing all manner of food in there plus loads of 'weeds' which are helping build the soil.

I added a compost tea as plants began to take and 4 months later I try dig a hole - my fork hits 8 inches without footing it. It's still very fine but aggregates are forming. The colour has gone from yellow to light brown. The mulch layer on top is about an inch from material grown right there and cut back. A mushroom popped up the other day, I was well pleased with my efforts.

It's only gonna get better. Some seaweed, chicken bedding, and pea straw has been added now, cos I got it free. I'll biff some rock dust in there next time I get some as well.

IMO EM works great, but it's taken out of context too much.

Very broadly speaking, the type of microbes found in EM can be found in nature dealing with disturbance (eg: tilling, compaction), environmental stress (waterlogging, anaerobic conditions), and pollution (pond waste, N, P). Once things start progressing toward order again other microbial consortia take their place.

EM before planting/sowing, then plants/seed and compost tea.

 

[mad librettist]

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

nice post fista! you are absolutely right to point out that EM is not everything to all grows. It really shines in piss poor conditions, and after you have plants established it's better to you aerobic compost as an inoculant.

I would just note though, that many of the EM organisms aren't necessarily associated with disturbance, although that condition gives them an advantage. I think it is a good idea to avoid the term "facultative anaerobes" in favor of "microaerophilic organisms".

Lactobacilli and yeasts are found in aerobic environments like your skin, and in anaerobic ones like your gut. Whenever they are present and there is lots of food, they will take over, air or no air. some species are even able to use oxygen, albeit using a different pathway compared to aerobes.

 

[Microbeman]

I consider AEM & Compost Tea the Yin & Yang of microbial horticulture. EM as soil conditioner and residue eater: CT as root/plant feeder.

THE LACTO GROUP
-Lactobacillus plantarum – facultative anaerobe – bacteria – microaerophilic*
-Lactobacillus casei - facultative anaerobe – bacteria - microaerophilic
-Lactobacillus. fermentum - facultative anaerobe - bacteria - microaerophilic
-Lactobacillus salivarius - facultative anaerobe - bacteria - microaerophilic
-Lactobacillus bulgaricus {delbrueckii} - facultative anaerobe- bacteria - microaerophilic (I think)

YEAST – I have seen more than one variety of yeast in EM stock; I believe not everything in EM stock is always listed for export and bureaucratic reasons, thus the lack of actinobacteria being listed
-Saccharomyces cerevisiae - facultative anaerobe – yeast

THE PURPLE NON-SULFUR BACTERIA (PNSBs) are facultative anaerobic bacteria but I’m not certain if microaerophilic;

Rhodopseudomonas palustris facultative anaerobe- bacteria
Rhodobacter sphaeroides
R. capsulatus

I believe that *microaerophilic [requiring lower levels of O2 than in atmosphere to survive] bacteria have been clased as obligate-aerobes

 

[mad librettist]

let's not forget Bacillus subtilus! Have you seen what it does to soy beans? (natto)

 

[Microbeman]

Ya did miss that yeast on my list.

 

[GoneRooty]

Thanks for all the information in this thread, had to subscribe to it, just way too much good information.

 

[mad librettist]

you are most welcome Rooty, thanks for the kind words.

 

[Scrappy4]

I consider em/lacto b to be worm food starters, and compost accelerators. All winter I fermented food scraps in my bakashi bucket, then fed the fermented bakashi to the worms. We seal-a -mealed the excess for later use.

For the spring/summer I have made em/lacto b infected newspaper. (same idea as the bran) I gift wrap my organic garbage in this newspaper, then dig a shallow hole in the compost pile to place the gift. So far so good, the scraps disappear in a short time and the pile seems to like it over my old method of just burying the scraps.

Using the bakashi juice has me intrigued but as of yet i too afraid to use it on my plants, so up till now it goes on the compost pile, but really it is another FPE of sorts, but the recommended 100/1 ratio has me nervous to use it.....scrappy

 

[mapinguari]

Using the bakashi juice has me intrigued but as of yet i too afraid to use it on my plants, so up till now it goes on the compost pile, but really it is another FPE of sorts, but the recommended 100/1 ratio has me nervous to use it.....scrappy

To avoid pulling an Albert Hofmann, you could start at 1000/1, or 500/1, as a confidence builder.

 

[mad librettist]

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

scrappy is anything wrong with your plants?

if not you don't need to spray

 

[GoneRooty]

So I might have missed this somewhere in the thread, but could I use the bokashi juice in my soil mix? When I mix up soil and amendments, then wet and let sit, could I use a dilute mix of bokashi juice and water to wet the soil? Thanks again for all the info, definitely going to start doing bokashi composting.

 

[mad librettist]

some people do that and do fine, but when I mix a soil I like to add compost tea if anything.

the juice from the bucket goes down my drain or on the worm bin.

 

[Scrappy4]

scrappy is anything wrong with your plants?

if not you don't need to spray

Spray? No one said spray, I mentioned possibly using bakashi juice, as a nutrient, but not as a spray. But I would hate to screw up my plants just to satisfy my curiosity, so I most likely won't try it.

Has anyone tried using it as a drench or spray?

Oh, and the plants are fine....scrappy