tips & tricks
“NATURALLY, THE SAME process occurs
without human intervention in heaps
of dead leaves, outdoor compost
piles, or forest floor debris.”
In less than a month, you can have enough beautiful
compost to bring joy to many house plants and to enhance
the nearest garden. Naturally, the same process occurs
without human intervention in heaps of dead leaves,
outdoor compost piles, or forest floor debris. It just takes
much longer.
You can buy everything you need, including concise
directions, online. Or, if you’re a DIY enthusiast, you can
assemble a kit yourself for a low cost. The list of equipment
you need is short: a knee-high plastic bucket with a tight-
fitting lid and a tap or pluggable hole at the bottom for
easy emptying of excess liquid. No drilling of air holes for
this method; it’s anaerobic.
Next, you’ll need food waste, chopped to thumb-size or
smaller. Don’t toss it in just yet, though. First, gather up a
carbon source to provide super-feed for the tiny life forms
who will call the bucket home. Wood chips, sawdust, old
newspapers, or grain bran are perfect. After this is the
microbial starter, or your source for bacteria. In warm
weather, it can be fresh, rich soil loaded with billions of
bacteria. If you want to get fancy, set up a big bowl with
a lid and fill it with sheets of newspaper, sawdust, or
grain bran. Mix a cup of yogurt with a couple of cups of
water and a few spoons full of molasses or other natural
sugar. Pour this over the paper and toss it to coat the
surface. Put it all in a plastic bag and let it soak a day
or two. The soaked paper is now a carbon source that is
also your lactobacillus starter.
Now, you are ready to prepare your bacterial
paradise. Layer the food waste, microbial starter, and
carbon source in tiers. Add just enough water so that
the lasagna feels nice and moist but never fully wet.
Finally, on top of the layer-filled bucket goes a plastic
sheet and then the tight lid.
In winter, leave the bucket in an indoor corner or closet.
In warmer weather, it will be happy indoors or outdoors
in the shade. The warmer environment will cause the
composting process to go a little bit faster.
Either way, check the bucket every few days. Give it a
shake so excess liquid makes itself heard. Drain off this
rich compost tea through the tap at the bottom of your
bucket and spray it on plants or soil. If you don’t keep a
garden in winter, you can freeze the compost tea for use
in the spring. Remember, though, that it’s alive and will
die if thawed and ignored more than a few days.
Eventually, the contents of your bokashi system
will turn into beautiful solid compost. Once you’ve
harvested it, just clean up your equipment and start
the next batch to keep the cycle going.
No matter which method you choose, indoor
composting is a quick and easy way to transform all
kinds of food waste into a valuable organic resource
for your garden or growroom.
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grow cycle