Each bag of bokashi bran is packed full of billions of great microbes. As you’ve likely read elsewhere on this website, these microbes are great for breaking down food waste in your bokashi kitchen composter. But, did you know that bokashi bran has three other uses in your garden; as a soil amender, a compost accelerator and as a great addition to your compost tea brew.
Bokashi bran as a soil amender
Your dirt may be full of nutrients but without microbial life these nutrients aren’t readily available to your plants. Without microbes your dirt will be just that…. dirt. For your dirt to become soil it needs a good fungal and microbial profile. Bokashi bran adds these much needed microbes and fungi.
Take bagged potting compost, for example. Potting compost is rich in nutrients, humus and organic matter (great!) but is often sterilized before it is bagged and sold. This sterilization kills most of the life in the potting compost; including the microbes. Adding our premium bokashi bran to your potting compost will return this life to your soil. The bokashi microbes and fungi will super-charge your soil; the results will not disappoint you!
Its really simple, just add half to one cup of premium bokashi bran to one cubic foot of soil. Mix and use as normal!
Bokashi bran as a compost accelerator
Another great use for bokashi bran is as a compost accelerator. In fact, our premium bokashi bran is labelled as a ‘compost accelerator’ as many of our customers use it for just that. Bokashi bran is a great addition to compost piles that are failing or struggling, particularly during the cold, winter months.
Simply add a handful of bokashi bran in the middle of your compost pile, and cover it completely.
You will be AMAZED at how fast the organic material in the compost pile begins to break down. Look closely at your pile and you should see signs of the bokashi bran at work with loads of fungal and hyphae growth.
Remember, bokashi microbes are anaerobic, which means they need to avoid contact with air. Make sure to add bokashi bran to the middle (or bottom) of your compost pile and remember not to turn your pile for at least 4-5 days after adding bokashi bran. This will give the bokashi microbes time to multiply and re-activate your compost pile.
Bokashi bran in your compost tea
The microbes in our premium bokashi bran can also be used to super-charge your compost tea brew. For those of you that currently brew your own compost microbial teas, simply add a teaspoon of bokashi bran to your normal tea recipe. The addition of bokashi bran can often reduce brew time by 4-6 hours!
It really is that simple! Add a single teaspoon to your normal mix, and don’t change a thing. Just remember to check the brew much earlier than usual!
[…] Bokashi bran: soil amender, compost accelerator and compost tea brew […]
[…] Bokashi bran: soil amender, compost accelerator and compost tea brew […]
[…] Bokashi bran: soil amender, compost accelerator and compost tea brew […]
Im not getting any tea draining from my bokashi
The amount of bokashi tea will vary depending on the contents of your bin. Fruit and vegetable peelings (with lots of liquid in them) will produce more bokashi tea than drier materials. Not getting tea, does not mean that your bokashi bucket has failed.
A couple of things to try:
1. Has the bin failed? Check to see if there is any blue/green mold and/or if the contents of the bin are smelling rotten (rather than the sweet pickle-like odor of bokashi pre-compost). If either of these are happening then your bokashi bucket has failed. Try adding a couple of generous handfuls of bokashi bran or discard the contents of the bin and start again.
2. Have the holes got clogged up? Maybe the holes in the drain plate are blocked and the tea cannot drain through to the reservoir. Tilt your bin from side to side. Do you hear any liquid slopping about? If so, its likely that the holes are blocked up. Try pressing the top of the food waste hard with the masher to squeeze the liquid out of the bottom.
I have read that the Bokashi tea that is bled off should be used within 24 hours. I didn’t have time to use it within that time period. Why the 24 hours? And what can I do with it now?
Hi Mary,
Thanks for the question. You can continue to use the bokashi tea, we simply recommend that you use it as soon after draining as possible. The power of the bokashi tea is in the microbes. These microbes will start to die and become less viable after the tea has been drained. The sooner you can use it, the better.
Happy composting 🙂
Hello,
I am doing bokashi at home with the organic waste and composting it by mixing it 3 parts soil vs 1 part the fermented waste to later use the compost or give it to friends. The problem is that I’m out of soil to mix with.
Is there another method that I can use instead of mixing with soil on the composting stage?
Thank you.
Best regards,
Vincent
You have a few different options for your bokashi pre-compost. It sounds like you are using the ‘soil factory’ method. You can bury it directly in your garden soil or compost pile (if you have them). Alternatively, you can add a layer of pre-compost to the bottom of planters and containers (https://bokashiliving.com/using-bokashi-in-planters-and-containers/). You can also store the bokashi pre-compost in a sealed airtight container until you have more soil and can make another soil factory.