Posted in Newspaper Bokashi

Many thanks to long gone http://bokashicomposting.com/ !!

The original site for Newspaper Bokashi Secrets and an alternative to the expensive bran and EM Hype, was http : / / bokashicomposting.com/. It was temporarily down during March and April 2010, but is now definitely gone. In its place is just another site selling that expensive bran and bucket hype. In appreciation of the work of the author of that original site, see his Original posts (Google cache for February 2010) below, reorganized. OR download Bokashicomposting.pdf

For a more comprehensive version on bocashi, rural and urban (in Spanish)
see Bokashi (Pre) Compostaje domiciliario

Welcome!

September 12th, 2008
This website [the original http : / / bokashicomposting.com/] is dedicated to the use and promotion of Bokashi composting using FREE naturally occurring beneficial indigenous micro-organisms (BIM)! Bokashi composting need not be expensive! No need for expensive commercial starters, expensive cultures, expensive bran or fancy buckets!

Download Bokashicomposting.pdf

Getting started (Part One) Collecting wild lactobacillus.

September 30th, 2008 Source: the late http : / / bokashicomposting.com/ (extinct)

Making your own bokashi starter culture in place of commercially available EM is incredibly easy.

My goal from the start was to produce bokashi compost without the use of expensive EM, bran or fancy buckets.

The most important component of the commercial EM in relation to bokashi is lactobacillus bacteria, the others are secondary (if at all necessary) and can be cultured in the bucket when conditions are favorable.

I culture my own lactobacillus serum starting with a rice wash water solution.

Making the serum is amazingly simple.

I mix one part rice thoroughly with two parts water (1/2 a cup to one cup). Mix thoroughly and vigorously. Drain. The resulting water should be cloudy.

Place the rice water in a container with 50-75% head space allowing plenty of air to circulate. Cover lightly (air should be able to move in and out of the container) and place in a cool dark spot for 5-8 days.

At the end of the wait the mixture should smell mildly sour.
Strain out any particles.

Download complete instructions: Bokashicomposting.pdf

Getting started (Part Two) Purifying the lactobacillus.

September 30th, 2008 Source: the now extinct http : / / bokashicomposting.com/

Put the finished rice water solution in a bigger container and add 10 parts milk (I use skim). DO NOT seal tightly, the gases must be able to escape.
Allow 14 days for a complete ferment, most of the solids in the milk will float to the top revealing the yellowish serum.
Strain off the solids.

You now have purified lactobacillus serum.

Download complete instructions: Bokashicomposting.pdf

Getting started (Part Three) Newspaper bokashi.

September 30th, 2008 Source: the now extinct http : / /bokashicomposting.com/

Instead of using expensive bran I ferment newspaper to use between the layers of compost in the bucket.

I take one part lactobacillus serum to one part molasses to six parts water. (label and freeze any extra serum)

I soak a bunch of newspapers thoroughly in the mixture and drain well.

I place the soaked newspapers in a 2 gallon zip lock baggie, remove all the air and seal.

Place in a cool dark spot and wait 10 days to 2 weeks to get a good fermentation.

After the fermentation process I separate and dry the newspaper. It’s now the carrier for the bacteria.

Download complete instructions: Bokashicomposting.pdf