Ugh everything you're saying in the end.. I couldn't agree more! It's unacceptable that so many of us living in cities don't have any way to compost, I'm writing a letter asking for public compost bins asap!
I live in London too, the best I can do right now is dropping it off in the Whole Foods compost bin. I just have to trust that they actually do compost until I find a better alternative!
We have a big garden and use outdoors composting during the summer months. But during the winter months it´s too cold to compost outdoors (we live in Denmark). So during winter we alternate between two bokashi buckets and empty the buckets after two-three weeks into a a container in our basement and put soil on top of it. We do this all winter: layering bokashi and soil. This makes great fertile soil come summer. You can do the same in an apartment if you have space for both the bokashi buckets and extra container (as you said it is odourless). This is such a great system. I highly recommend it. Also the liquid can be used to unclog drains. Thank you so much for your videos. You are such an inspiration. I appreciate the effort you put into everything and your sincere attitude.
We use the old soil from the summer. Like soil that has been standing in pots or beds and is no good to use for growing vegetables in next summer. That soil would otherwise just be discarded when the next summer comes around, but it is perfect to use in the bokashi composting system.
I just took a class in how to make my own bokashi out of rice bran, which works better for us in Hawaii since there’s a rice factory nearby. We learned the key to bokashi is Effective Microorganisms developed in Okinawa. You mix the EM with molasses, water and the bran. The EM is great when diluted, and helps protect vegetation, and aides in the growth of some giant veggies. My bokashi from class is fermenting under the sink. Next class is in the actual layering of food waste and bokashi, but they gave me a free DVD on how to do the layering. FYI, for non-vegans, you can even put meat, fish, and bones in bokashi. I’m excited to start!
When I lived in an apartment, I had a worm composting system. It comes in tiers and the worms break everything down into a fine compost. The worms stay in the bin and there's a spout at the bottom that compost tea comes out of :)
I had been waiting for this video. Glad to see a fellow Bokashi composter. I have been using this method for over two years now and has worked great. For the ones who think this is complex and expensive, it's just that when you hear all the details of any process it feels so. It literally takes 3 minutes in a day and for stage 2 I have a terrace where I layer Bokashi and soil in cane basket. I have also learnt to make the bran now so I don't have to keep purchasing. Why I chose Bokashi over aerobic composters or vermicompost (although both are great), I'm not very comfortable handling worms or them escaping could be problem for my family, I don't have time to add multiple things and do the mixing daily, also one more main reason is that I don't have to think about what to add and what not, like citrus, onion, egg shells, cooked food, everything can go into it with no worries.. no matter what is the method, every step to reduce, segregate and dispose waste responsibly has a huge impact. Thanks again.
Hi, you seem to have a pretty successful system. Do you have your own backyard? What type of soil do you add in stage 2? I'm thinking that's harder to do in an apartment since you'd have to purchase the soil, which usually comes in plastic packaging. Also, how do you make your own bran? Thanks :)
Thank you, I could say fairly successful since I have had my own shares of failures and lessons learnt. I don't have my own backyard, on terrace i have a small area with shelter where I place the stage 2 baskets. Stage 1 buckets are in my kitchen. Soil- i use the old soil from my pot which in turn keeps making new soil. Also I use some amount of pre-made compost and dries leaves along with soil for mixing. Yes, the first time I had to buy soil packaged. Bran making is bit of an elaborate process, but once made can be stored to almost a year. If you are new I would suggest to sustain boakshi atleast for 6 months with store bought bran and then venture into making it. I could share the bran making method document via email if you are interested.
Thanks so much for your reply! I don't have a bokashi yet, I'm still trying to figure out what method would work for me, so your comment helped a lot :) Can you store the stage 2 basket outside in the winter as well?
rajashree n Would you be able to share the Bokashi bran recipe here! I have been doing it for a little over a month and have had some inconsistencies with the bran I’m buying (which also comes in plastic) so would love to get away with it. I also just have a patio and have found it very easy to use a large bin I already had to create a soil factory which now means I never have to buy soil and have also been able to give to neighbors and friends.
I love most of your content, i learn a lot from your contents. Thank you! It was you who gave me the vegetable stock idea, you made me realize how much food waste my family have, that we have been sending to the landfill. And now this! ❤❤❤ i could certainly do this in the winter and support a local organization, from whom i could buy the bokashi bran from. Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you
this is amazing!! I have an outdoor compost but I think this will be perfect for the winter for me 😍 one tip that has helped me with any smells is coffee grounds. lots and lots of coffee grounds ☺️
No foul odors from a bokashi composter. The food waste is pickled, so the bokashi pre-compost smells sweet and pickly. No odorless, but not like rotting, putrid food waste. The bokashi pre-compost can be added directly to your compost pile. The bokashi microbes will give a real boost to your compost.
I used to live in a small apt and a large walkway where I had lots of potted plants, mostly vegetables(I live in CA where I can grow vegetables year round. I had two large containers, one full of clean soil and one that I would put my food waste in to let it compost and then layer with the soil. The compost container had a lid. I found it to be amazing soil for my vegetable garden. I rotated the potting soil yearly. When it was time to get new clean soil I usually had a pot where the vegetable in it had tapped out so I’d replace the soil in it to the clean soil pot and take the composted soil to use for planting the new vegetables with a half to half ratio of clean soil and loamy compost. Now I have a larger yard (10x10 plot) so have a larger composting bin. Best fertilizer ever. And my food scraps aren’t going to waste. Happy happy garden. Also my yard waste goes in the compost bin
I recently discovered that our food waste collections from the council all go into general waste and as a student without a garden or car and no community compost near by I really don't know what to do with my food waste anymore. I'll continue using the food waste caddy to set an example and show demand for now!
Qitiji it's pretty disgusting especially since the man I spoke to about it at the landfill seemed to find it a bit funny! I reckon it's to give the impression that something is being done and to stop maybe a lot of complaints the council were getting. It's led me to think that if it's happening here it might be happening everywhere
I made a DIY Vermicompost bin because it was the cheapest option and I love it! 2 thrifted broken plastic totes later and the generosity of a local vermicomposter was all it took to get me started. It also has no smell unless done incorrectly (way too many garlic skins is a mistake I won't make again) and is reasonably small. The main differences are no outside space is required and no bran has to be purchased. Love love love this system and would 100% suggest it to someone interested.
That's interesting, my composter says not to put onion peels, citrus or tomatoes in it. It also says to chop the waste down to 1x1inch so it desolves quickly. Thanks for sharing, it's always fun to learn more.
I think I’ll look into this. For now, I freeze my food scraps and take them to a local garden. Unfortunately, it takes up half the freezer until I have to take it so I’ve been looking for something that won’t take up any of the usable space in the apartment 😂
another inside option for composting is a worm composter - i haven‘t tried it yet, but it seems good and pretty easy to manage. just wanted to add that in case anyone is interested :)
I'm so glad you made this video! Actually I've been reading about compostable options and I gave up on Bokashi just because I don't have any place do bury it. I've tried vermicomposting few years ago but it was hard to keep C:N correctly. So this time I decided to buy a food cycler! It wasn't delivered yet but I'm very excited about it! I simply cannot stand keep wasting and tossing anymore. I'm changing my habit gradually, the same way I did when I became vegan 13 years ago. I've learned so many nice things with your videos that I'd like to share with you some great readings too. "Life without plastic - Chantal Plamondon and Jay Sinha" and "Ecoholic home - Adria Vasil" both are Canadian books. 😊
Super interesting, I always wanted to know more about bokashi! Thank you for this video :) That being said, it sounds soooooo complicated and expensive, and you need to have another type of compost system available. I have a DIY worm composter inside, and it works great. It's so easy to use, and you just have to invest in some worms once. They reproduce so quickly and eat like crazy! I love my worms. It doesn't smell at all. The only bad thing is you can't put animal products there, but we were reducing our animal products intake anyway, so.... :)
Valeria Hernández I've always been curious about it... But I have some questions, probably even silly 😶 like, what if the worms escape? 😶 and how do you know if they die or get ill? 😶
Uapa500 you have to keep it closed or other animals could get in (mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches and such), but technically, if you're doing it right, they shouldn't try to escape. I have left mine open like 3 times for a whole night in 6 months because I forgot to put the lid on after feeding them, and not one tried to escape :) Also, if something is wrong, it's easy to tell. If it's too moist, it'll smell. If it's too dry, they WILL try to escape. If you feed them too much they will find a spot without food, or start mating like crazy. If you don't feed them enough, they won't reproduce as much to have better chances. It's easy because they pretty much take care of themselves :)
Laurel S. Depends on how much waste you're putting in the bin, how often and how many worms you have. I reused a Rubbermaid plastic box, and started with only 15 worms 6 months ago. Now I have over 200 worms. It also depends on the food you put in there. My worms LOVE banana peels, papaya and mango, but they take their time with strawberries and lettuce.
Thank you for this info. : ) I have two large clay pots in the yard, that compost is constantly added to and squished down. it's the best I can do, in my town, at the moment
I have an off-brand bokashi bin, which while it does wonders in terms of composting, it pretty much constantly leaks out of the tap (I drink a lot of tea!) and the tap isn't positioned in such a way that you can leave a container underneath it. So even though it's quite expensive, I think I'm going to have to buy the proper one!
a friend of mine found a couple big ol bins behind a parking garage so i’ve started using one of those for a compost. they have holes in the bottom and they didn’t come with lids, so my current experiment is trying out a “lazy compost” where i just throw shit in there and hope for the best. if this is a terrible idea someone stop me now lol
You really need to make sure that you are adding browns with your greens for a more effective compost. All the experts say, "smelly compost is bad compost." That means sticks, dried leaves, and soil for browns and cut grass and food scraps for greens. Best of luck!
I am planning to do this very soon. Its such a great way to get rid of dog poo. I read that you need to place 3 or 4 buckets in various places and number them. also I don't think it's good to use in the veggie garden.
I'm located in San Antonio, TX and there's a service here that'll collect compost for $10/mo. They use the bokashi system! Except they never said anything about collecting/draining the tea. They just specified to not add liquids to it.
Can you use some shredded paper/cardboard material alongside the bokashi bran just in case? I know you need a balance of "green" and "brown" material so the compost doesn't smell. Is that what the purpose of the bran is?
I do have a composting system in my 1 bed apartment which has no outdoor space... the system is exactly opposite. It is 3 terra-cotta pots one over the other. I start with the first layer and start with brown waste and then wet/fresh waste and and again cover with brown waste and cover With paper. Once the top is full transfer to the middle layer and start again. I do not get any smell by doing this and the compost is amazing. If I had more space and pots I would age it for 6 months but unfortunately I would need to take it out in 4 months, sieve it and get nice soil for the plants. It works well. So this is what I do... and yes we need more awareness about composting. It is not complicated. More people should do it...
We have green bins here in Canada, and they collect is every week while collecting garbage every other week. But I always see news stories about not enough people using them. It's pretty frustrating.
JessieSamanthaEmily some people such as myself try to use the green bin but to others in my apartment couldn't care less and it ends up being all mixed up
Thanks for educating urban dwellers to the easy benefits of bokashi composting.I had hoped you would have a vegan option to make EM1 liquid I have just made it with dairy milk to achieve LACTOBACILLUS CULTURE but I want to make it with a plant based option using rice water and a vegan lactobacillus I may experiment with coconut milk or soy milk and probiotics. The dairy lactobacillus culture is curds and whey it breaks down any dairy content so ends up dairy free but I'm vegan and would prefer not to use dairy milk. You then use the whey with the rice bran probiotic then activate it with molasses or raw brown sugar. It's a multipurpose liquid which is antibacterial so you can use it as plant fertiliser, for household cleaning and of course to break down your food scraps. You don't need to mix it with bran, you can just add a layer of food scraps then spray the EM1 in your bin, or make a bran meal or newspaper and add EM1 if you prefer. Bokashi is a very quick method to achieve compost. You can make your compost in a flat or on a balcony, you just need an bin with a lid, some soil to start it off, any old soil from old plants will do then you wait two weeks or so before using it for planting so it isn't to acidic, you can also add it into whatever your planting with more soil and it will break down. Then you keep layering with more bokashi and soil and leave it to break down. The good thing about bokashi over other methods is it is a quick method to achieve the end result of compost and a convenient way to use most food scraps, including meat, dairy, etc. Worms are good to but they don't eat everything and you have to separate them to get the worm poo or juice, it is highly nutritious but it's not a compost. You can use any bin with a lid if your council doesn't provide them you don't need a tap, just make a sieve and let the liquid drip to the bottom of the bucket or put one smaller bin inside a bigger bin with holes drilled in the bottom then collect the liquid each week or so to use on your plants as liquid fertiliser. You can use a potato masher to push down on the bokashi to get the moisture to drip into the bin below, then use the liquid it's a highly concentrated fertiliser so it needs to be diluted. Use it as a plant food or plant pest spray. I am also new to bokashi composting but I have done a lot of research on bokashi methods recently. I am lucky to have a very big garden and lots of space to compost, our food waste is nearly zero in the rubbish bin as we have a bokashi bin, a worm farm to and a dog so it is a perfect combination and convenient.What I love about it is that it is good for vegan and meat eaters whereas other composting and worm farms don't like meat, and dairy.
For the bucket I went to Home Depot bought one of their buckets, drilled a hole & installed a tap with 3 plumbing pieces. The bucket and pieces cost me $12 and then the bokashi bran I got was 2lbs for $12 (which lasted for 1.5 buckets of bokashi). I did have to buy an initial bag of potting soil to start off the soil factory. So all together initial start costs under $35! I will never have to buy soil again or plant fertilizer and can compost all scraps in a small apt with no smell/vermin issues.
Lovely informative video! I just bought a bokashi set myself, but I'm having a bit of trouble actually collecting enough organic material every day (I live alone). I suppose it's a good thing not wasting so much food, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. So my question is: do you think it's bad to not have a full layer of material every time? Or, do you have ideas as to how to keep the material last longer in a temporary container before putting it into the bucket? Thanks again for your super useful videos!
I live in the extremely hot, arid Valley near Los Angeles, CA, and realized I couldn't do a worm vermicompost setup because the worms can't survive the triple digit temps we reach. (Fahrenheit) Just discovered this "Bokashi." Would this Bokashi be a suitable alternative, and work for those who have to keep their compost in hot weather?
I have a bucket outside. It's just by my trash can. It's just full of dirt. I use a Tupperware as an indoor compost "trash can". I rip/cut all my compost waste into small pieces to help the process.Then when its full, I take it and mix it into the bucket and leave it. Voila. Easy.
Can I use a large plastic tub on my balcony and fill it with soil, and bury the fermented bokashi in it? Or does it need to be buried in actual ground? Thank you
Im already doing outdoor composting and have a worm bin but will be starting a bokashi compost for my non vegan family members meat scraps. Putting meat scraps in my outdoor compost attracts pest, and worms don’t like meat scraps and bones I heard.
Nice video thanks! Have you started exploring making your own bokashi bran at all? This is what I'm trying to research but it requires milk! If anyone knows of a vegan way to make bokashi bran I really want to hear it as it's a big sticking point for me at the moment.
Hello ! Hope you're doing well, thanks for sharing these tips with us, I just wanted to add that it is not recommended to add citrus in your compost otherwise it would make your soil too acidic when it ferments and that's not good for your plants ! Have a nice day =)
Interesting, i never saw a composting method via fermenting with no air. Typically what I do is get a recyclable bag and cut a ton of small holes (for drainage), and set the bag in a 5 gallon container. I cut up all my kitchen scraps very finely so they break down faster, and mix the scraps along with cut up used paper or cardboard. Typically in three weeks they'll get completely black and that's when I add it to existing soil container to finish composting. Practically dirt cheap (literally), I compost in an apartment patio so it should be adaptable for everyone
Hey what was the music you used in this video? Also I had no idea you could get these, this video encouraged me to look up my district council's web page regarding composting services and I found that they have a $20 voucher I can download to get a discount on bokashi systems or worm bins!! Excited, and I find your videos really inspiring, thank you!
Thanks for the super helpful video, I made so many mistakes 🙈, anyone an idea where I can buy the bran without Plastik packaging (in Germany/Berlin)? Or in a large Plastik bag, only found it in small sizes... Thanks :)
So you said when it's full, you let it ferment for 2-3 weeks. What do you do with all your other compostable waste in the meantime? Is that what the outdoor bucket was? Or do you compost it some other way?
Hey love, i m indian its difficult to understand ur accent can u please tell me in breif wht u used to get rid of smell? Is it costly? If it is coffee, coffee is expensive here what can i do please spend some minutes to write down sister waiting fr ur reply
I am really interested in getting this. I live in a studio flat on a high street so literally no space to bury it outside, however where I live there are also plenty of woods, etc.. I wonder if it’d be super awful of me to bury it in the woods occasionally, more off the beaten track? Otherwise I will enquire if anyone would let me bury it in their garden but the only person I know with a garden lives in a hotel they own so it’s kinda public ....! Any ideas anyone?
Please never bury it in the woods - the increased nutrients would damage the woods ecosystem. Wild plants are used to low fertility soils. You would encourage things like nettles rather than a balanced plant life. Find a gardener who can add it to their compost heap.
This is sorta off topic, but do you know how to make sugaring wax? I tried making it once, and it turned out awful! If you know anything about that a vid on that would be cool💥
I have a compost for my flat and one at my University so when I put too much in mine I just bring it to the Uni. And here I hear "I don't have time for this composting ish" 😑
Watch this for how to DIY your own Bokashi bin (the girl also links a free instruction printable for the side): ua-cam.com/video/9m3jNmsB5Lw/v-deo.html My 5 gal bucket bokashi system has been doing great for me. The bokashi juice is gold for plants 👌🏽
Citrus can encourage more flies but as this system is air sealed and doesn't smell it should be OK. Also this system can break down things better than other systems. I've even read it to break down even sturdier things like bones. I'm intrigued because my husband is not vegan and makes a lot of waste generally as it isn't something he thinks about a lot but I don't really have a space to take it too when it's full
Dear, are you throwing away that perfectly fine banana? 😱 Even though it might have some brown spots, you can still use it!! If it's gotten too sweet for your personal taste, you can for example chop it up, freeze it and then later blend it together with milk and (lots of) cocoa powder - perfect ice cream!! Or use it to make a smoothie etc.. And did I see a whole onion and large potato pieces as well? :( Might have been a misperception, and I'm convinced you're being responsible with food, but it seems to me that you could use up more of it..
Ugh everything you're saying in the end.. I couldn't agree more! It's unacceptable that so many of us living in cities don't have any way to compost, I'm writing a letter asking for public compost bins asap!
Amazing! I have been emailing all the councils in London that don't offer compost collection and they're finally starting to get worn down haha
I live in London too, the best I can do right now is dropping it off in the Whole Foods compost bin. I just have to trust that they actually do compost until I find a better alternative!
Medical MJ referring more towards collection
We have a big garden and use outdoors composting during the summer months. But during the winter months it´s too cold to compost outdoors (we live in Denmark). So during winter we alternate between two bokashi buckets and empty the buckets after two-three weeks into a a container in our basement and put soil on top of it. We do this all winter: layering bokashi and soil. This makes great fertile soil come summer. You can do the same in an apartment if you have space for both the bokashi buckets and extra container (as you said it is odourless). This is such a great system. I highly recommend it. Also the liquid can be used to unclog drains. Thank you so much for your videos. You are such an inspiration. I appreciate the effort you put into everything and your sincere attitude.
Tine Kotzé where do you get the soil? Do you just buy it?
We use the old soil from the summer. Like soil that has been standing in pots or beds and is no good to use for growing vegetables in next summer. That soil would otherwise just be discarded when the next summer comes around, but it is perfect to use in the bokashi composting system.
Tine Kotzé I live in Denmark too;) Where do you buy yours?
I just took a class in how to make my own bokashi out of rice bran, which works better for us in Hawaii since there’s a rice factory nearby. We learned the key to bokashi is Effective Microorganisms developed in Okinawa. You mix the EM with molasses, water and the bran. The EM is great when diluted, and helps protect vegetation, and aides in the growth of some giant veggies. My bokashi from class is fermenting under the sink. Next class is in the actual layering of food waste and bokashi, but they gave me a free DVD on how to do the layering. FYI, for non-vegans, you can even put meat, fish, and bones in bokashi. I’m excited to start!
When I lived in an apartment, I had a worm composting system. It comes in tiers and the worms break everything down into a fine compost. The worms stay in the bin and there's a spout at the bottom that compost tea comes out of :)
I had been waiting for this video. Glad to see a fellow Bokashi composter. I have been using this method for over two years now and has worked great. For the ones who think this is complex and expensive, it's just that when you hear all the details of any process it feels so. It literally takes 3 minutes in a day and for stage 2 I have a terrace where I layer Bokashi and soil in cane basket. I have also learnt to make the bran now so I don't have to keep purchasing. Why I chose Bokashi over aerobic composters or vermicompost (although both are great), I'm not very comfortable handling worms or them escaping could be problem for my family, I don't have time to add multiple things and do the mixing daily, also one more main reason is that I don't have to think about what to add and what not, like citrus, onion, egg shells, cooked food, everything can go into it with no worries.. no matter what is the method, every step to reduce, segregate and dispose waste responsibly has a huge impact. Thanks again.
Hi, you seem to have a pretty successful system. Do you have your own backyard? What type of soil do you add in stage 2? I'm thinking that's harder to do in an apartment since you'd have to purchase the soil, which usually comes in plastic packaging. Also, how do you make your own bran? Thanks :)
Thank you, I could say fairly successful since I have had my own shares of failures and lessons learnt. I don't have my own backyard, on terrace i have a small area with shelter where I place the stage 2 baskets. Stage 1 buckets are in my kitchen. Soil- i use the old soil from my pot which in turn keeps making new soil. Also I use some amount of pre-made compost and dries leaves along with soil for mixing. Yes, the first time I had to buy soil packaged. Bran making is bit of an elaborate process, but once made can be stored to almost a year. If you are new I would suggest to sustain boakshi atleast for 6 months with store bought bran and then venture into making it. I could share the bran making method document via email if you are interested.
Thanks so much for your reply! I don't have a bokashi yet, I'm still trying to figure out what method would work for me, so your comment helped a lot :) Can you store the stage 2 basket outside in the winter as well?
rajashree n Would you be able to share the Bokashi bran recipe here! I have been doing it for a little over a month and have had some inconsistencies with the bran I’m buying (which also comes in plastic) so would love to get away with it. I also just have a patio and have found it very easy to use a large bin I already had to create a soil factory which now means I never have to buy soil and have also been able to give to neighbors and friends.
I love most of your content, i learn a lot from your contents. Thank you! It was you who gave me the vegetable stock idea, you made me realize how much food waste my family have, that we have been sending to the landfill. And now this! ❤❤❤ i could certainly do this in the winter and support a local organization, from whom i could buy the bokashi bran from. Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you
My compost pile is my son. This method is really interesting & seems a little complex. Can't wait till municipal composting is everywhere !
What do you mean your compost pile is your son?
@@bethratkewicz6062 Lol
this method lets you compost meat fats and oils
this is the easiest most minimal composting system other than a worm farm ;) sorry to hear about your son but they sometimes evolve and flourish.
this is amazing!! I have an outdoor compost but I think this will be perfect for the winter for me 😍 one tip that has helped me with any smells is coffee grounds. lots and lots of coffee grounds ☺️
No foul odors from a bokashi composter. The food waste is pickled, so the bokashi pre-compost smells sweet and pickly. No odorless, but not like rotting, putrid food waste. The bokashi pre-compost can be added directly to your compost pile. The bokashi microbes will give a real boost to your compost.
I used to live in a small apt and a large walkway where I had lots of potted plants, mostly vegetables(I live in CA where I can grow vegetables year round. I had two large containers, one full of clean soil and one that I would put my food waste in to let it compost and then layer with the soil. The compost container had a lid. I found it to be amazing soil for my vegetable garden. I rotated the potting soil yearly. When it was time to get new clean soil I usually had a pot where the vegetable in it had tapped out so I’d replace the soil in it to the clean soil pot and take the composted soil to use for planting the new vegetables with a half to half ratio of clean soil and loamy compost. Now I have a larger yard (10x10 plot) so have a larger composting bin. Best fertilizer ever. And my food scraps aren’t going to waste. Happy happy garden. Also my yard waste goes in the compost bin
I recently discovered that our food waste collections from the council all go into general waste and as a student without a garden or car and no community compost near by I really don't know what to do with my food waste anymore. I'll continue using the food waste caddy to set an example and show demand for now!
Zoé why would they do that? False advertising!
Qitiji it's pretty disgusting especially since the man I spoke to about it at the landfill seemed to find it a bit funny! I reckon it's to give the impression that something is being done and to stop maybe a lot of complaints the council were getting. It's led me to think that if it's happening here it might be happening everywhere
the public should be lied to like this!!
I made a DIY Vermicompost bin because it was the cheapest option and I love it! 2 thrifted broken plastic totes later and the generosity of a local vermicomposter was all it took to get me started. It also has no smell unless done incorrectly (way too many garlic skins is a mistake I won't make again) and is reasonably small. The main differences are no outside space is required and no bran has to be purchased. Love love love this system and would 100% suggest it to someone interested.
I love your channel so much, I'm Arabic girl from the Middle East🙊🌿
thank you so much for watching xx
That's interesting, my composter says not to put onion peels, citrus or tomatoes in it. It also says to chop the waste down to 1x1inch so it desolves quickly.
Thanks for sharing, it's always fun to learn more.
I think I’ll look into this. For now, I freeze my food scraps and take them to a local garden. Unfortunately, it takes up half the freezer until I have to take it so I’ve been looking for something that won’t take up any of the usable space in the apartment 😂
another inside option for composting is a worm composter - i haven‘t tried it yet, but it seems good and pretty easy to manage. just wanted to add that in case anyone is interested :)
Love my vermicomposter! Super cheap to set up with old plastic totes or wooden boxes.
I'm so glad you made this video! Actually I've been reading about compostable options and I gave up on Bokashi just because I don't have any place do bury it. I've tried vermicomposting few years ago but it was hard to keep C:N correctly. So this time I decided to buy a food cycler! It wasn't delivered yet but I'm very excited about it! I simply cannot stand keep wasting and tossing anymore. I'm changing my habit gradually, the same way I did when I became vegan 13 years ago.
I've learned so many nice things with your videos that I'd like to share with you some great readings too. "Life without plastic - Chantal Plamondon and Jay Sinha" and "Ecoholic home - Adria Vasil" both are Canadian books. 😊
In the starting I thought that you made drink of compost lol stupid me
Sameeee😹
Haha I did too 😂😂
Same
So did I 😂
lol she did! for the plants!
Super interesting, I always wanted to know more about bokashi! Thank you for this video :)
That being said, it sounds soooooo complicated and expensive, and you need to have another type of compost system available.
I have a DIY worm composter inside, and it works great. It's so easy to use, and you just have to invest in some worms once. They reproduce so quickly and eat like crazy! I love my worms. It doesn't smell at all.
The only bad thing is you can't put animal products there, but we were reducing our animal products intake anyway, so.... :)
Valeria Hernández I've always been curious about it... But I have some questions, probably even silly 😶 like, what if the worms escape? 😶 and how do you know if they die or get ill? 😶
Uapa500 I'm assuming if a worm dies it just becomes soil with the rest of the compost.
Uapa500 you have to keep it closed or other animals could get in (mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches and such), but technically, if you're doing it right, they shouldn't try to escape. I have left mine open like 3 times for a whole night in 6 months because I forgot to put the lid on after feeding them, and not one tried to escape :)
Also, if something is wrong, it's easy to tell. If it's too moist, it'll smell. If it's too dry, they WILL try to escape. If you feed them too much they will find a spot without food, or start mating like crazy. If you don't feed them enough, they won't reproduce as much to have better chances.
It's easy because they pretty much take care of themselves :)
How many boxes do you use? And how long does it take for one box to fully compost?
Laurel S. Depends on how much waste you're putting in the bin, how often and how many worms you have.
I reused a Rubbermaid plastic box, and started with only 15 worms 6 months ago. Now I have over 200 worms.
It also depends on the food you put in there. My worms LOVE banana peels, papaya and mango, but they take their time with strawberries and lettuce.
Thank you for this info. : )
I have two large clay pots in the yard, that compost is constantly added to and squished down. it's the best I can do, in my town, at the moment
I have an off-brand bokashi bin, which while it does wonders in terms of composting, it pretty much constantly leaks out of the tap (I drink a lot of tea!) and the tap isn't positioned in such a way that you can leave a container underneath it. So even though it's quite expensive, I think I'm going to have to buy the proper one!
Would love a video of all your book recommendations :-)
a friend of mine found a couple big ol bins behind a parking garage so i’ve started using one of those for a compost. they have holes in the bottom and they didn’t come with lids, so my current experiment is trying out a “lazy compost” where i just throw shit in there and hope for the best. if this is a terrible idea someone stop me now lol
I did this last year and it was a bit smelly and had a lot of flies around it but by the end of the year I did have some usable compost!
That is actually very cool! You absolutely don’t fancy bins and equipment to make compost and it’s great that you’re reusing stuff!
I think I’ll use your method
You really need to make sure that you are adding browns with your greens for a more effective compost. All the experts say, "smelly compost is bad compost." That means sticks, dried leaves, and soil for browns and cut grass and food scraps for greens. Best of luck!
I made a ‘dog poo’ compost bin in my garden, it’s brilliant & produces beautiful fertiliser for my garden, just not for edible plants.
I am planning to do this very soon. Its such a great way to get rid of dog poo. I read that you need to place 3 or 4 buckets in various places and number them. also I don't think it's good to use in the veggie garden.
I'm located in San Antonio, TX and there's a service here that'll collect compost for $10/mo. They use the bokashi system! Except they never said anything about collecting/draining the tea. They just specified to not add liquids to it.
I live in SA and I want to thank you for leaving this comment!
Can you use some shredded paper/cardboard material alongside the bokashi bran just in case? I know you need a balance of "green" and "brown" material so the compost doesn't smell. Is that what the purpose of the bran is?
thanks for sharing. this is unrelated but your voice is very soothing like a yoga teacher =)
I do have a composting system in my 1 bed apartment which has no outdoor space... the system is exactly opposite. It is 3 terra-cotta pots one over the other. I start with the first layer and start with brown waste and then wet/fresh waste and and again cover with brown waste and cover With paper. Once the top is full transfer to the middle layer and start again. I do not get any smell by doing this and the compost is amazing. If I had more space and pots I would age it for 6 months but unfortunately I would need to take it out in 4 months, sieve it and get nice soil for the plants. It works well. So this is what I do... and yes we need more awareness about composting. It is not complicated. More people should do it...
We have green bins here in Canada, and they collect is every week while collecting garbage every other week. But I always see news stories about not enough people using them. It's pretty frustrating.
JessieSamanthaEmily some people such as myself try to use the green bin but to others in my apartment couldn't care less and it ends up being all mixed up
It’s frustrating to hear because I don’t have anything like that near where I live and people who have the privilege are not taking advantage of it
Thanks for educating urban dwellers to the easy benefits of bokashi composting.I had hoped you would have a vegan option to make EM1 liquid I have just made it with dairy milk to achieve LACTOBACILLUS CULTURE but I want to make it with a plant based option using rice water and a vegan lactobacillus I may experiment with coconut milk or soy milk and probiotics.
The dairy lactobacillus culture is curds and whey it breaks down any dairy content so ends up dairy free but I'm vegan and would prefer not to use dairy milk. You then use the whey with the rice bran probiotic then activate it with molasses or raw brown sugar. It's a multipurpose liquid which is antibacterial so you can use it as plant fertiliser, for household cleaning and of course to break down your food scraps. You don't need to mix it with bran, you can just add a layer of food scraps then spray the EM1 in your bin, or make a bran meal or newspaper and add EM1 if you prefer.
Bokashi is a very quick method to achieve compost. You can make your compost in a flat or on a balcony, you just need an bin with a lid, some soil to start it off, any old soil from old plants will do then you wait two weeks or so before using it for planting so it isn't to acidic, you can also add it into whatever your planting with more soil and it will break down. Then you keep layering with more bokashi and soil and leave it to break down.
The good thing about bokashi over other methods is it is a quick method to achieve the end result of compost and a convenient way to use most food scraps, including meat, dairy, etc. Worms are good to but they don't eat everything and you have to separate them to get the worm poo or juice, it is highly nutritious but it's not a compost.
You can use any bin with a lid if your council doesn't provide them you don't need a tap, just make a sieve and let the liquid drip to the bottom of the bucket or put one smaller bin inside a bigger bin with holes drilled in the bottom then collect the liquid each week or so to use on your plants as liquid fertiliser. You can use a potato masher to push down on the bokashi to get the moisture to drip into the bin below, then use the liquid it's a highly concentrated fertiliser so it needs to be diluted. Use it as a plant food or plant pest spray.
I am also new to bokashi composting but I have done a lot of research on bokashi methods recently. I am lucky to have a very big garden and lots of space to compost, our food waste is nearly zero in the rubbish bin as we have a bokashi bin, a worm farm to and a dog so it is a perfect combination and convenient.What I love about it is that it is good for vegan and meat eaters whereas other composting and worm farms don't like meat, and dairy.
For the bucket I went to Home Depot bought one of their buckets, drilled a hole & installed a tap with 3 plumbing pieces. The bucket and pieces cost me $12 and then the bokashi bran I got was 2lbs for $12 (which lasted for 1.5 buckets of bokashi). I did have to buy an initial bag of potting soil to start off the soil factory. So all together initial start costs under $35! I will never have to buy soil again or plant fertilizer and can compost all scraps in a small apt with no smell/vermin issues.
I was looking forward to this video, thank you so much it helped me a lot!
I have no outside land to bury fermented bokashi mixture. Do you have any idea how to proceed after 2 weeks of fermentation is over?
Lovely informative video! I just bought a bokashi set myself, but I'm having a bit of trouble actually collecting enough organic material every day (I live alone). I suppose it's a good thing not wasting so much food, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right.
So my question is: do you think it's bad to not have a full layer of material every time? Or, do you have ideas as to how to keep the material last longer in a temporary container before putting it into the bucket?
Thanks again for your super useful videos!
I live in the extremely hot, arid Valley near Los Angeles, CA, and realized I couldn't do a worm vermicompost setup because the worms can't survive the triple digit temps we reach. (Fahrenheit) Just discovered this "Bokashi." Would this Bokashi be a suitable alternative, and work for those who have to keep their compost in hot weather?
I have a bucket outside. It's just by my trash can. It's just full of dirt. I use a Tupperware as an indoor compost "trash can". I rip/cut all my compost waste into small pieces to help the process.Then when its full, I take it and mix it into the bucket and leave it. Voila. Easy.
Can I use a large plastic tub on my balcony and fill it with soil, and bury the fermented bokashi in it? Or does it need to be buried in actual ground? Thank you
I was told to chop up the veggies-fruits etc.. into small pieces so it breaks down better and gets more bran to the veg.
Loving the hair and outfit! - Your looking really well and happy :)
i've been looking into a cat waste bokashi, this video helped de-mystify the process
What do I do with the food waste I have for the 2-3 weeks that it’s fermenting after it’s full?
Im already doing outdoor composting and have a worm bin but will be starting a bokashi compost for my non vegan family members meat scraps. Putting meat scraps in my outdoor compost attracts pest, and worms don’t like meat scraps and bones I heard.
I just sprinkle a tablespoon of the bran on top of each food layer. If I put too much the tea starts smelling like liquid smoke/barbecue sauce
Nice video thanks!
Have you started exploring making your own bokashi bran at all? This is what I'm trying to research but it requires milk! If anyone knows of a vegan way to make bokashi bran I really want to hear it as it's a big sticking point for me at the moment.
I just started Bokashi too! My first batch rotted (oops!) but my next batch is ready tomorrow so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Hello ! Hope you're doing well, thanks for sharing these tips with us, I just wanted to add that it is not recommended to add citrus in your compost otherwise it would make your soil too acidic when it ferments and that's not good for your plants ! Have a nice day =)
Can I place frozen items on n there? I’ve been freezing my daily food waste for later composting.
Interesting, i never saw a composting method via fermenting with no air. Typically what I do is get a recyclable bag and cut a ton of small holes (for drainage), and set the bag in a 5 gallon container. I cut up all my kitchen scraps very finely so they break down faster, and mix the scraps along with cut up used paper or cardboard. Typically in three weeks they'll get completely black and that's when I add it to existing soil container to finish composting. Practically dirt cheap (literally), I compost in an apartment patio so it should be adaptable for everyone
the cardboard and paper acts as an order neutralizer in case the pile doesn't get enough air circulation
Hey what was the music you used in this video? Also I had no idea you could get these, this video encouraged me to look up my district council's web page regarding composting services and I found that they have a $20 voucher I can download to get a discount on bokashi systems or worm bins!! Excited, and I find your videos really inspiring, thank you!
I think this is cool because it then goes into compost. My compost is okay...not the best so I think this would work amazing.
Can bokashi bran be multiplied to other quantities?
where I am from in Canada we have a city compost collection service! I am lucky. However we put most of ours in the garden compost.
Thanks for the super helpful video, I made so many mistakes 🙈, anyone an idea where I can buy the bran without Plastik packaging (in Germany/Berlin)? Or in a large Plastik bag, only found it in small sizes... Thanks :)
make your own it's very easy
We will enjoy the video thank you for sharing we think what you're doing is really cool
Your curls are looking beautiful! How is your no wash system going?
her curls are perfect. I wonder what she does to make them like that.
I just use my Counties standard Food Waste bin collection service which works well. I try and keep food waste to a minimum anyway.
Hey ya'll! How do you get the bran in bulk without plastic?! I can't find it anywhere. Or can you make your own? Any suggestions?!?!
I don't understand though. Isn't air circulation important for the compost process?
This was really helpful. Thanks!
So you said when it's full, you let it ferment for 2-3 weeks. What do you do with all your other compostable waste in the meantime? Is that what the outdoor bucket was? Or do you compost it some other way?
She just puts it over the old one. You can see in the middle of the video...
Thanks for this video.
It gets expensive when you have to buy the bran,I don't know if it's worth it to do this.
Hi Immy! Not to be a troll, but didn't you say you'd leave some links for the veggie stock and bokaski (sp) system? 😁
Yes you're right doing that now sorry!!!
No worries! It happens 😉❤️
Hey Immy, I'm wondering what happens if you leave it for a few weeks while you're on vacation, do you know? :)
The longer you leave it the better!
This is a great resource :)
I live in an apartment and currently throwing my compost in a paper bag letting it sit there until I figure out where to take it 😭💔
Em R maybe if you have a friend or family member who lives close by & has a nice backyard, you can start a heap in their yard. ?
Thank you for the advice!! Unfortunately I just moved to Portland so not quite yet...
Maybe bury it behind a bush somewhere? It'll feed the bush and soil?
Thank you. You're awesome.
Hey love, i m indian its difficult to understand ur accent can u please tell me in breif wht u used to get rid of smell? Is it costly? If it is coffee, coffee is expensive here what can i do please spend some minutes to write down sister waiting fr ur reply
Great thorough video
Where do you get your bokashi bran?
Can we priper power of bokashi
Thanks for sharing
I am really interested in getting this. I live in a studio flat on a high street so literally no space to bury it outside, however where I live there are also plenty of woods, etc.. I wonder if it’d be super awful of me to bury it in the woods occasionally, more off the beaten track? Otherwise I will enquire if anyone would let me bury it in their garden but the only person I know with a garden lives in a hotel they own so it’s kinda public ....! Any ideas anyone?
Please never bury it in the woods - the increased nutrients would damage the woods ecosystem. Wild plants are used to low fertility soils. You would encourage things like nettles rather than a balanced plant life. Find a gardener who can add it to their compost heap.
This is sorta off topic, but do you know how to make sugaring wax? I tried making it once, and it turned out awful! If you know anything about that a vid on that would be cool💥
ماهى مكونات البوكاشى
What’s the song in the beginning?
I have a compost for my flat and one at my University so when I put too much in mine I just bring it to the Uni. And here I hear "I don't have time for this composting ish" 😑
Are you still using this ?
U should make the pieces much smaller.
I would fill that thing up so fast :o
Watch this for how to DIY your own Bokashi bin (the girl also links a free instruction printable for the side):
ua-cam.com/video/9m3jNmsB5Lw/v-deo.html
My 5 gal bucket bokashi system has been doing great for me. The bokashi juice is gold for plants 👌🏽
I thought onion and citrus could not be composted easily?
It can't - but in the bokashi the bran and air tight seal allow for a much quicker break down!
Why wouldn’t they compost easily?
Citrus can encourage more flies but as this system is air sealed and doesn't smell it should be OK. Also this system can break down things better than other systems. I've even read it to break down even sturdier things like bones. I'm intrigued because my husband is not vegan and makes a lot of waste generally as it isn't something he thinks about a lot but I don't really have a space to take it too when it's full
Works better when you chop vegetable matter
♥
I wanted to watch your video, but a ham commercial came by...
Boring
Much more about EM to be found EM-X ceramics ... Kyusei Nature Farming animal hygene i mean human
don’t freeze your compost stuff, the micro organisms will die :(
Did you know you can cook and eat banana skins?
Dear, are you throwing away that perfectly fine banana? 😱 Even though it might have some brown spots, you can still use it!! If it's gotten too sweet for your personal taste, you can for example chop it up, freeze it and then later blend it together with milk and (lots of) cocoa powder - perfect ice cream!! Or use it to make a smoothie etc..
And did I see a whole onion and large potato pieces as well? :( Might have been a misperception, and I'm convinced you're being responsible with food, but it seems to me that you could use up more of it..
That was just the banana peel not the whole banana :)