Bokashi Buckets FAQs

Bokashi is a Japanese term meaning “fermented organic matter.” With a bokashi system, a sawdust based bran is added to kitchen waste within an airtight bucket. Effective micro-organisms in the bran quickly ferment kitchen waste and the resulting material can dug straight into your garden or be added to a compost heap.

It reduces the amount of rubbish going in your green-lidded wheelie bin (meaning less waste is sent to landfill). It’s great for the garden – improves soil health meaning healthier plants, yummier veges and less need for fertilisers. It’s easy and can be done by anyone even those who don’t have large outdoor areas. Unlike regular composting it takes care of cooked food and cooked/uncooked meat and fish. It’s inexpensive & easy to do.

You can easily make your own system if you have two good quality buckets (cleaned out old paint buckets work well). Drill a few holes in the base of one bucket. This will be your top bucket and must have an airtight lid. The top bucket is placed inside the other bucket (needs to be a good snug fit).

If you prefer, you can purchase a purpose-made bokashi bucket system, complete with tap in the bottom bucket for draining bokashi juice. These are available online at www.zingbokashi.co.nz. This website also lists other stockists of purpose-made bokashi buckets.

Your bokashi bucket is best placed in a warm place, away from direct sunlight. Common places are under the kitchen sink, in the hot water cupboard or in the garage. Remember a bokashi system will not smell if it is looked after properly and so there is no reason why it can’t be kept inside.

Keep the following out of your bokashi bucket:

• Liquids including juice, milk and oil.
• Garden waste.
• Paper and plastic.
• Bones.

1. Begin by sprinkling a handfull Bokashi bran into the bottom of the bucket.
2. Place your food scraps in the bucket and coat evenly with more bran (approx. 2 tablespoons for each icecream container worth of food. Compact to remove air pockets and tightly replace the lid on the bucket.
3. Repeat this layering process until the bucket is full, then top up with a large handfull of bran.
4. Leave the bucket to ferment for 7-10 days after which time the contents should have a “pickled-onion” smell.
5. Once fermented, the bucket’s contents will be ready to be dug into your garden or added to your compost.
6. Remember to drain the liquid a couple of times a week. This can be used diluted as a plant food or undiluted as a drain cleaner.
7. Rinse the bucket with water – no chemical cleaners and start again!

It’s a good idea to have two bins going at any one time – one fermenting and one active.

Effective micro-organisms (EM) are microbes which ferment waste within a bokashi bucket. They are added to the bucket in a bran form. EM can be purchased in bran form or as a liquid which you can add to your own bran/sawdust. EM are available for purchase online at www.zingbokashi. co.nz or see the same website for stockists. EM work anaerobically, meaning that the bucket must be kept airtight at all times.

If you follow the instructions you should have no problems with your bokashi bucket. If your bucket has a bad smell or black fungi something has gone wrong.

These are the likely causes

• Not adding enough bokashi bran.
• Not replacing the lid tightly after every use.
• Not draining the juice from the bottom bucket regularly.
• Exposure to extreme temperatures (too hot or too cold / prolonged direct exposure to sunlight).

After 7-10 days fermenting your bokashi bucket should have a ‘pickled onion’ smell. Occasionally especially if left to ferment for a long time, white fungi growth may appear on the surface – this shows a good fermentation process has occurred.

Fermented compost can be dug straight into your garden or added to your compost.

To add directly to your garden, dig a trench approx. 20-25 cms deep and add the fermented compost, mixing it slightly with some soil. Cover the compost with soil to prevent attracting pests. Although the compost will be acidic when first dug in, after a week it will be neutral and you can plant on top of it. Within 2-3 weeks the compost will have completely decomposed.

The bottom bucket will collect bokashi juice which should be emptied a couple of times a week and used as plant food (dilute 1 teaspoon per 2 litres of water) or for cleaning drains.