Bokashi Composting & Your Bokashi Buddy
Bokashi composting works on all your food scraps, even meat, bones, processed foods, dairy, and citrus.
Speed up composting and create microbe rich soil & compost in just weeks instead of months.
What is Bokashi?
Bokashi composting has its origins in South East Asia and is a Japanese word that means “fading away.” Bokashi composting works with all organic food waste (even meat, dairy, and fats) and pre-composts food waste via fermentation into a nutrient rich pre-compost.
Basically, using Upcycled Bokashi (or other bokashi bran) let’s us ferment food scraps indoors, cultivating beneficial microbes that feed on the nutrients in our food waste.
Those same beneficial microbes (also known as “effective microorganisms”) are to thank for the rapid decomposition once fermented bokashi food scraps are added to soil factories, compost bins, or directly to the soil.
Bokashi composting microbes require an oxygen-free environment.
Unlike active (hot) composting that requires oxygen, water, consistent turning and green/brown ratios, the Bokashi method lets the microbes do the hard work to speed up decomposition.
That’s right: no extra water, temperature checks, or physical pile turning is needed.
Gardeners (like us!) love that Bokashi pre-compost is rich in organic matter, minerals, beneficial microorganisms, and nutrients. When your food scraps are sealed away in the bucket, you won’t have to worry about smells or pests.
When your food waste is fully fermented in your Bokashi Buddy, you can harvest and use it directly in your garden, soil, or cool it off in a soil factory to help build healthy, living soil and help regenerate your soil food web. Learn about all the ways you can use your biopulp here.
What do I need?
Food scraps
An oxygen-free container (we recommend the Bokashi Buddy)
Bokashi composting is popular all around the world and can be done even on small scales (like in apartments) or large scale homesteads. We recommend thinking through how you’ll use your fermented food scraps when they come out of your Bokashi Bucket or Buddy. More on that here.
Bokashi is thought of as Japanese composting, although the origins of Bokashi are debated (ranging from its first uses in India, Korea, and Japan).
In Japanese, Bokashi means “fading away.”
Getting started is easy
Get a bucket or other container that you can put food scraps in that completely excludes oxygen. We designed the Bokashi Buddy to be easy, accessible, and convenient.
Check the lid is airtight. Bokashi is an anaerobic process, meaning fermentation & good microbes work in an oxygen-free environment. If you DIY your bucket, check out our tip sheet. An Airscape insert can also transform any 3-7 gallon bucket into a Bokashi system instantly.
Add Upcycled Bokashi and recycled substrate to the bottom. Shredded paper, cardboard, shredded egg carton. Anything that can act as a sponge in the bottom of your bucket. Aim for 2-4 inches. Why no spigot? Read more here.
Start adding food waste. Keep pieces about 1-2 inches (like all composting). For every cup of food waste you put in the Bokashi system, add at least 2 tablespoons of Upcycled Bokashi. This is a starting point. Once you get the hang of bokashi, you’ll know when you can add more or less. (Generally, if your food scraps are meat, dairy, or super moist, add extra Upcycled Bokashi).
Compress every time you add. Each and every time you add food scraps and Upcycled Bokashi, always compress the air our of your layers/bucket. You can use a potato masher, old plate, or cardboard round. You can leave the old plate or cardboard in the bucket to further mitigate air space and air contact on the scraps.
When your bucket is full, let it fully ferment for 2 weeks (no peeking). After 2 weeks, harvest your bucket (called biopulp) and use in the way that works best for you: your garden beds, directly in the ground, in a soil factory, or community garden plot.
Why use the Bokashi method?
1) Versatility
Bokashi Bran breaks down food most composting systems can’t handle like meat, dairy, citrus, fats, and even processed foods (like pizza or a burger!).
Bokashi is an accelerant in regular compost bins or hot compost piles.
House plants love it. Sprinkle bokashi bran on houseplants for a nutrient boost. Bonus: You’ll also reduce pathogens and diseases.
You can use bokashi bran anywhere your home has unpleasant odors. Sprinkle in cat litter, diaper pails, home trash, sinks, and more.
2) Garden Love
Check out this dissertation from the University of Vermont to nerd out on the details on increased yield and nutritional content of plants when using bokashi in your garden (skip to page 98 for the quick conclusion).
“Bokashi provided a more prolonged supply of inorganic nitrogen to plants than vermicompost, and a more readily [available] supply of inorganic nitrogen than thermophilic [hot] compost.”
3) Speed
Bokashi compost ferments quickly. Faster than any other compost method.
Once your Bokashi bucket is full, close the lid tightly and keep it sealed for 2 weeks. You can use a second bucket while your first fully ferments.
After the 2 week, you can use the fermented bio pulp in tons of ways and expect to see your food waste fully decomposed in 2-4 weeks at ideal temperatures. (In our own tests, we saw complete decomposition in about 6 weeks in late winter.)
4) Sustainability
Bokashi composting manages food waste we normally send to the landfill like meat, dairy, bones, citrus, garlic, onion, and processed foods.
Using bokashi is accesible for folks with apartments or acreage.
There is little to no carbon dioxide produced with this method. Bokashi composting uses anaerobic fermentation, where the microbes feed on organic waste.
Unlike traditional hot compost, bokashi compost doesn’t need additional water to stay in balance.
How Fast is Bokashi Composting?
Upcycled Bokashi starts working on food scraps immediately.
Once your bokashi compost bucket is full, it will be ready to put in your garden in after its two week fermentation. Do not skip this step.
During this two week full-fermentation stage, you leave your bucket completely sealed , allowing the effective microorganisms to do their work, thoroughly fermenting and digesting down food waste.
The fermented waste (called bio pulp or pre-compost) can then be safely buried in your food gardens, around trees, and in your compost piles to add vital nutrients and build healthy, living soil.