Make your own bokashi bucket - step by step guide - IGMR

Make your own bokashi bucket – a DIY step by step guide . In my post about making your own biochar , ”Emma” posted a comment that got me interested.

Translated: ”Why not start with bokashi? A simple method to turn your food waste into soil”

So… Why have I not started with bokashi? Probably because of the start up cost. I have seen prices of around SEK 800 (USD 80) and up for a starter kit. It´s a big investment to make, especially if you just want to try out what bokashi is all about. So I need to come up with a way of making an inexpensive bokashi bucket myself.

What You’ll Need to make your own bokashi bucket

Equipment / Tools

Drill and drill bit

Materials

2 5-gallon plastic buckets
Lid for a plastic bucket
Dirt trap
Spigot
Bokashi bran or EM spray

What is bokashi?

Bokashi is a composting method that quickly converts food waste into soil. With the help of a special mix of microorganisms, all ordinary food waste such as meat, fish, vegetables and coffee grounds are transformed in a couple of weeks into a fermented compost that can be buried. When buried it is then converted to soil in record time (2-4 weeks). Bokashi enriches and nourishes the soil and increases micro-life, which benefits the plants you grow.

How to bokashi

To be able to compost bokashi, you need a bucket with an airtight lid and preferably a distance at the bottom so that liquid can be collected without soaking the compost. A tap to drain this liquid is also good. The bokashi liquid itself is a resource and you can use it as fertilizer (dilluted 1:10). It benefits the micro-life in the soil.

Bokashi composing is easy. You put your food waste in the bucket and sprinkle on a bokashi bran loaded with effective microorganisms (also called EM). The dosage is about two tablespoons per kilo of food waste. EM is also available as a spray. When the bucket is full, it is allowed to mature indoors for a couple of weeks and then you can bury the compost in a garden bed.

If the weather is cold or if for some other reason you do not want / can not dig down the bokashi compost, it can be stored inside or outside until you feel it is time.