Are you looking for easy and cheap ways to make your own and homemade bokashi compost? Follow a few easy steps and make Japanese-style fermented liquid fertilizer using reused organic waste from the kitchen!
Why can Bokashi compost be more beneficial than other fertilizers?
When using effective microorganisms in agriculture, work is mainly carried out in the anaerobic area, with the resulting product receiving the international name “Bokashi”. In contrast to thenormal compostingThe putrefactive processes run under the influence of oxygen, which creates organic ferments. Thanks to fermentation, you get new, higher nutritional values for your plants, which are rich in enzymes, vitamins and amino acids. A good example of this is sauerkraut, where the cabbage is left aerobic so that the vegetables in the water and salt gain new nutritional values under the influence of lactic acid bacteria.
In addition, nitrogen fixation occurs in the Bokashi bucket, which means that the resulting energy is not simply lost into the atmosphere. In this way, the fermented liquid fertilizer can be released back into the soil and promote plant growth. The effective microorganisms accordingly also change the microbial environment and suppress pathogenic bacteria, which leads toPrevention of plant diseasescontributes. This means you get a naturally decontaminated and healthy organic material in a sustainable way. Therefore, Bokashi compost proves to be more nutrient-rich and beneficial compared to conventional products. This is mainly due to the strong development of anaerobic effective bacteria, which contribute to increasing yields and high-quality plants.
How to make a liquid substance as fertilizer using the Japanese method?
In order to be able to produce a liquid fertilizer, it is first and foremost important to keep the organic material used as compact as possible. This type of Bokashi compost is a nutrient-rich juice that consists of macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as well as other micronutrients such as chlorine, iron, zinc, boron and manganese. You can use this to supply your plants with nutrients or to restore the condition of the soil.
Although you can compost kitchen scraps, this is not possibleFertilizers, for example, also made from horse manureproduce. The trick is simply to convert such organic waste into compost tea as much as possible. Here is a Bokashi guide that you can follow step by step to make your own juice. It is important to allow as little oxygen and sunlight to penetrate as possible. However, it is also necessary to allow about 20% humidity, which corresponds to a carbon-nitrogen ratio, with the optimum being 20 to 1.
Recipe for Bokashi compost from alternative microorganisms
There are many ways to produce Bokashi compost using purchased microbial cultures, such as the so-called EM-1. However, you can also make bokashi yourself without EM, although the effective bacteria required for production are available almost everywhere. However, if you choose the DIY method, you must first attract the necessary microorganisms to create the Bokashi Ferment. Only then can you use the bran for composting. Although this takes a little longer, the materials needed are readily available and you can achieve the same results. However, these could vary significantly as the microorganisms in the environment vary greatly from place to place.
Ingredients and materials
To make your own bran using these methods, you will need water, molasses, milk, rice, sawdust or other carbon-rich materials, suitable containers with lids, cheesecloth or old T-shirts, and trash bags or ziplock bags.
Manufacturing method
- First, trap bacteria by washing a cup of rice with water, straining the rice, and reserving the water.
- Then let the liquid sit for about a week.
- Then prepare the serum for the Bokashi compost by adding milk to the water and letting it ferment for about two weeks.
- Only then can you make the liquid by straining the solids from the serum using cheesecloth or an old T-shirt.
- First, mix the liquid by mixing one part serum with one part molasses and 6 parts water.
- You can then soak the carbon-rich material in the liquid, allowing the excess to drain off and sealing everything in a trash bag or ziplock bag.
- Then let the mixture ferment for about two weeks.
- First, you should spread the material out and let it dry.
- You can then store the effective bacteria in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.
How to use liquid fertilizer from Bokashi compost?
To use the sap as liquid fertilizer during composting, you will either need a special Bokashi bucket with a drain, or you can empty a homemade one weekly. You should water the organic material in the container in layers of 20 to 25 cm with solution activated by the homemade bacteria. Dilute with 1 to 2 liters of chlorine-free water without getting the material soaking wet. The formula for one cubic meter of organic matter is 1 liter to 10 liters. The main goal is to penetrate all layers of organic materials. The finer you cut the materials for your Bokashi compost, the faster the effective microorganisms process it. As a rule, you can receive the finished fertilizer after about 2 to 3 months, with the optimal working temperature being around 20 to 30 °C.
Using Bokashi in the Garden
In gardening, Bokashi compost is applied close to the root system, such as in the interrows around the roots of vines, fruit trees, etc. However, this should not be done in direct contact with the root system, as the fertilizer will increase in the first two weeks is acidic and has a low pH value. However, the acid content equalizes that of the soil within these two weeks. In addition, the plants treated with it feel the nutritional power and try to get there. In this way, you will develop a powerful root system, which is the main requirement for healthy plant growth and disease resistance.
It is therefore advisable to wait a little longer until the liquid fertilizer from the Bokashi compost is ready before using it. If the anaerobic compost has fermented long enough, it would also be very good for growing earthwormssuitable for vermicomposting. This means that earthworms can convert the compost heap into a worm bin when the pH value is high in the summer.
In addition, in garden areas without planting or sowing, you should apply the liquid fertilizer from Bokashi by simply watering and then cover it with a thin layer of soil by loosening it. As a rule, the norm is 0.5 to 1.5 liters per square meter. You can also use the homemade fertilizer in the same amount when growing. For better penetration of nutrients and effective microorganisms into the soil depth, try to water the fertilized garden area immediately. When treating adult shrubs or trees with it, you should apply the fermented organic fertilizer to the root zone in the same amount in 4-6 places around the perimeter at a depth of 10 to 15 centimeters and cover with soil with a shovel.
Also read: “MAKE YOUR OWN WORM COMPOST: TIPS FOR PRODUCING YOUR OWN BIOMASS AND ADVANTAGES OF VERM COMPOSTING“
