******I screwed up. Some people who attended the class received buckets that don’t fit the lids. I didn’t remember to make a sign-up sheet. Please contact me and I’ll make sure you have a set-up that works. ******
Bokashi Composting - the easy way
I am available for questions at info@flamingchalice.com
Anerobic Phase
Collect food scraps in kitchen bin. (Don’t allow to get moldy.)
Unlike normal composting, citrus, meal, oil can all be added.
Put 2 inches of biochar in bottom of 5 gallon bucket.
Sprinkle ~1/3 cup bokashi bran.
Add 2 inch layer of food scraps to bucket.
Sprinkle with ~1/3 cup bokashi bran.
Continue layering.
Put plastic bag on top and push down and tuck into squeeze out air after each opening
Tuck the plastic bag around the edges to seal.
Close and burp the bokashi bin tightly in between additions.
When full or heavy enough, burp the lid and let sit for 2 weeks.
(I put a post it note on top of the bucket with the dates 2 weeks out.
Note: it is ok to see white mycelium in the bran bucket.
Start the 2nd bucket while the first bucket incubates.
Aerobic Phase
Create a soil factory with a bin or box outside.
Put a thick layer of spent garden soil in bottom of bin.
Dump fermented bokashi food scraps into bin and spread into a layer.
Cover with several inches of spent soil.
Critters do not like the smell of bokashi and won’t bother it. They might dig it up the first night.
Continue layering buckets of fermented food scraps and old soil.
This phase needs a bit of water so monitor and water as necessary. Damp like a sponge.
Supercharged soil is ready in several weeks.
If there is food remaining, throw it back in and cover with soil to finish decomposing.
Bokashi links
Video of how Kat does bokashi - (note that I now use biochar in the bottom instead of crumpled paper. I also use a simpler lid now.). You can search YouTube for Kat Rose and find this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZkPOZ71zLg
Technical paper by Dr Higa who created EM1
Supplies
Supplier of inoculated Bokashi bran and liquid for making your own bran. There is lots of good information about bokashi on this site.
https://www.teraganix.com/pages/garden
Biochar comes from our own Roger Ellison at Thornbush Farm. You can buy additional biochar at the Farmer’s Market each Saturday or through the Food Hub each week in the winter.
Lids
The bucket needs to be airtight for 2 weeks. I have always used gamma lids which are expensive ~$16 each. I now use flexible lids which you can “burp” to seal.
https://www.amazon.com/Meranti-Reusable-Gallon-Bucket-Grade/dp/B08PXJHX4H
Books
Teaming With Microbes - The Organic Gardeners Guide to the Soil Food Web
https://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microbes-Organic-Gardeners-Guide/dp/B085WBSBHX/
I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Living within Us and a Grander View of Life
https://www.amazon.com/I-Contain-Multitudes-Ed-Yong-audiobook/dp/B01FY85L38/
The Hidden Half of Nature - The Microbial Roots of Life and Health
https://www.amazon.com/The-Hidden-Half-of-Nature-audiobook/dp/B019NJ93V0/
The Regenerative Gardeners Guide to Garden Amendments: Using Locally Sourced Materials to Make Mineral and Biological Extracts and Ferments
https://www.amazon.com/Regenerative-Growers-Guide-Garden-Amendments/dp/1603589880/
Bokashi Composting: Scraps to Soil in Weeks
https://www.amazon.com/Bokashi-Composting-Scraps-Soil-Weeks/dp/B07GC56DP8
Deeper explanation of the benefits of EM1 bokashi organisms
from Chat GPT
Benefits of adding yeast to the soil
Adding yeast to soil biology can enhance plant growth by contributing to the microbial ecosystem, offering various benefits that improve soil fertility and plant health. While yeast is not a mycorrhizal fungus, it plays a supportive role in the overall soil microbiome. Here are the key benefits yeast can offer when added to soil:
1. Boosting Organic Matter Decomposition
• Role: Yeast can help break down organic matter in the soil. During decomposition, yeast contributes to the breakdown of carbohydrates, sugars, and other organic compounds into simpler substances.
• Benefit: This process releases nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and other minerals that plants can absorb, enriching the soil’s nutrient content.
2. Improving Nutrient Cycling
• Role: By aiding in organic matter decomposition, yeast accelerates nutrient cycling in the soil.
• Benefit: Plants can access essential nutrients more quickly, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, which are vital for plant growth and development.
3. Enhancing Soil Structure
• Role: Yeast, along with other microbes, can help improve soil aggregation by contributing to the production of organic compounds that bind soil particles together.
• Benefit: This improved soil structure enhances water retention, aeration, and root penetration, promoting better root growth and overall plant health.
4. Promoting Beneficial Microorganisms
• Role: Yeast can interact with other soil microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. It can serve as a food source for beneficial microbes, stimulating their growth.
• Benefit: A diverse and active microbial community supports better nutrient availability and suppresses harmful pathogens by outcompeting them for resources.
5. Bioavailability of Nutrients
• Role: Yeast can produce enzymes, vitamins, and organic acids that make certain nutrients more bioavailable to plants, such as iron, phosphorus, and magnesium.
• Benefit: This increases the efficiency of nutrient uptake by plant roots, leading to more vigorous plant growth.
6. Stimulation of Root Growth
• Role: Some yeast species can produce plant hormones like auxins and gibberellins that promote root growth.
• Benefit: Enhanced root development allows plants to explore a larger volume of soil for nutrients and water, improving their resilience and overall health.
7. Fostering Plant Stress Tolerance
• Role: Yeast can help plants deal with environmental stresses like drought, salinity, and temperature fluctuations by improving the plant’s access to nutrients and water.
• Benefit: This leads to increased resilience, helping plants survive under challenging conditions.
8. Suppressing Soil-Borne Pathogens
• Role: Yeast can act as a biocontrol agent, either by directly inhibiting the growth of harmful soil-borne pathogens or by promoting beneficial microbes that outcompete pathogens.
• Benefit: This natural form of disease suppression reduces the need for chemical treatments and supports healthier plants.
Summary of Benefits:
• Enhanced nutrient cycling and availability
• Improved soil structure and water retention
• Promotion of beneficial microbes and suppression of pathogens
• Stimulation of root growth and plant resilience
• Better organic matter decomposition, increasing soil fertility
Yeast contributes to a more balanced and robust soil microbial community, indirectly boosting plant growth and health through its interactions with other soil organisms and processes., and lactic acid bacteria that promote growth in plants.
Benefits of adding phototropic bacteria to soil.
Adding phototrophic (or photosynthetic) bacteria to soil biology offers a range of benefits for plant growth and soil health. These bacteria, which harness light energy to produce organic compounds, play an important role in nutrient cycling, soil fertility, and overall ecosystem functioning. Purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) and cyanobacteria are examples of phototrophic bacteria commonly used in agricultural practices. Here are the key benefits of incorporating phototrophic bacteria into soil biology:
1. Enhanced Nutrient Cycling and Availability
• Role: Phototrophic bacteria can fix nitrogen (like some cyanobacteria) or convert atmospheric nitrogen into forms that plants can use. They also facilitate the breakdown of organic matter and enhance nutrient availability in the soil.
• Benefit: This leads to improved nutrient uptake by plants, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, which are essential for healthy plant growth.
2. Nitrogen Fixation
• Role: Certain phototrophic bacteria, like cyanobacteria (e.g., Anabaena and Nostoc), can fix atmospheric nitrogen through a process called biological nitrogen fixation.
• Benefit: This reduces the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, providing a sustainable nitrogen source for plants, especially in nitrogen-poor soils
3. Soil Fertility Improvement
• Role: These bacteria improve soil fertility by breaking down organic matter and converting nutrients into bioavailable forms. They can also synthesize organic compounds like amino acids and vitamins.
• Benefit: Enriched soil fertility leads to healthier plants, increased crop yields, and reduced dependency on chemical fertilizers.
4. Enhanced Photosynthesis in Plants
• Role: Phototrophic bacteria can produce plant growth-promoting substances, such as vitamins, amino acids, and hormones like auxins, which stimulate plant photosynthesis and root development.
• Benefit: Increased photosynthesis results in more efficient energy production in plants, supporting faster growth and higher productivity.
5. Detoxification of Harmful Substances
• Role: Phototrophic bacteria can degrade or transform harmful substances in the soil, such as heavy metals, pesticides, or other pollutants.
• Benefit: This leads to healthier soils, reduces toxic buildup, and creates a safer environment for plants and beneficial microorganisms.
6. Enhancement of Soil Microbial Diversity
• Role: Phototrophic bacteria contribute to a diverse soil microbial community by interacting with other beneficial microbes. This diversity helps maintain a balanced ecosystem and promotes the overall health of the soil.
• Benefit: A diverse microbial community makes the soil more resilient to diseases, pests, and environmental stress, improving plant health and productivity.
7. Water Retention and Soil Structure Improvement
• Role: Phototrophic bacteria contribute to soil aggregation by producing exopolysaccharides (gel-like substances) that help bind soil particles together, improving soil structure and water retention.
• Benefit: This leads to better water management, especially in drought-prone areas, and enhances root penetration, giving plants better access to nutrients and water.
8. Reduction of Pathogens and Pests
• Role: Phototrophic bacteria can outcompete soil pathogens for resources, suppressing harmful bacteria, fungi, and nematodes that can negatively impact plant health.
• Benefit: This natural biocontrol reduces the need for chemical pesticides and helps prevent soil-borne diseases, promoting a healthier growing environment for plants.
9. Carbon Sequestration
• Role: Phototrophic bacteria, especially cyanobacteria, can capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, converting it into organic matter in the soil.
• Benefit: This contributes to carbon sequestration, improving soil carbon content and helping mitigate climate change by reducing atmospheric CO₂ levels.
10. Increased Plant Stress Tolerance
• Role: Phototrophic bacteria can improve a plant’s ability to withstand environmental stresses like drought, salinity, and temperature fluctuations by enhancing root growth and nutrient availability.
• Benefit: Plants grown in soils enriched with phototrophic bacteria are more resilient, leading to increased survival rates and higher yields in adverse conditions.
11. Production of Bioactive Compounds
• Role: Phototrophic bacteria can produce compounds with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, which can enhance plant health and defend against pathogens.
• Benefit: These bioactive compounds can help plants resist diseases and improve overall growth.
Summary of Benefits:
• Improved nutrient cycling and nitrogen fixation
• Enhanced soil fertility and structure
• Detoxification of harmful substances in the soil
• Increased microbial diversity and soil health
• Reduction of soil pathogens and pests
• Improved water retention and plant stress tolerance
• Contribution to carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation
Incorporating phototrophic bacteria into soil management practices offers a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to enhancing soil fertility, plant growth, and overall agricultural productivity.
Benefits of adding lactic bacteria to soil.
Adding lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to soil biology can provide numerous benefits that enhance plant health, soil fertility, and the overall functioning of the soil ecosystem. LAB, commonly found in fermented foods, are known for their probiotic effects in human and animal digestion, but they also play a vital role in soil microbial communities. Here are the main benefits of incorporating lactic acid bacteria into soil:
1. Improved Nutrient Availability
• Role: LAB can break down organic matter and produce organic acids like lactic acid. These acids help solubilize minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium, making them more available to plants.
• Benefit: This increases nutrient uptake by plants, supporting healthier and faster growth without relying as heavily on synthetic fertilizers.
Benefits of adding actinomycetes to soil
Actinomycetes are a group of filamentous, bacteria-like microorganisms that play a crucial role in soil health and plant growth. They are commonly found in soil and compost and are particularly known for their ability to break down complex organic materials. Adding actinomycetes to soil offers numerous benefits, enhancing both the biological and chemical properties of the soil. Here are the key benefits:
1. Decomposition of Complex Organic Matter
• Role: Actinomycetes are excellent decomposers of complex organic materials, such as cellulose, lignin, and chitin, which are often difficult for other soil microbes to break down.
• Benefit: Their ability to degrade tough organic matter helps recycle nutrients in the soil, making them more accessible to plants. This enhances soil fertility and contributes to the natural nutrient cycle.
