Composting is the best solution if we want active soil; hence, ICAW plays a significant role. Of course, not many people know that the first full week (Sunday to Saturday) of May is traditionally reserved for International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW). As such, environmentally conscious communities worldwide are bringing an extra effort to the table this week (May 1-7, 2022) to promote composting actively.
After all, composting is THE WAY to handle organic waste properly and thus ensure that valuable resources get reused. By letting natural processes convert our food scraps and other organic waste into valuable soil builder known as compost, we get to use it to ensure active soil. The latter then repays us by nurturing and protecting our plants, which as a result, produces healthy, plentiful, and delicious crops.
As you may know, there are several different ways of composting. And, while they all work and offer an environmentally-friendly solution for organic waste handling, there’s one composting type that stands out - bokashi composting. The latter is technically not composting but fermentation, which means it takes place in airtight conditions. As such, it releases about 27-times* less CO2 than traditional composting. Moreover, it is also way less sensitive to various factors affecting the composting process. Nonetheless, bokashi fermentation is also the best alternative for indoor composting. Hence, here at Skaza, we do our best to promote this solution not only during ICAW but all year round. However, we want to take this opportunity to tell you and even show you (video below) how you can easily ensure active soil. All it takes is using a quality bokashi composter to collect organic waste properly.
The bokashi fermentation is fast, a lot faster than traditional composting. We can thank effective microorganisms (EM) and airtight conditions for that. As such, your bokashi bin will need about 2 weeks to convert your kitchen waste into fermented bokashi mass. Then you get to use this mass, also known as bokashi cake, to ensure active soil. Moreover, there are several ways how to use bokashi fermented mass. Yet, the following three are the most popular ones:
Let’s now look at each of the three most popular ways of using bokashi cake to ensure active soil closely.
Burying your bokashi cake in your garden soil will decompose and turn into highly nutrient compost. Obviously, this option is only suitable for those of you who own gardens. If you do have your own garden, dig a hole and put your bokashi cake in it. Next, cover it with a minimum of a 15-centimeter soil layer. Then, let nature do its course. In 2-6 weeks, the mass will decompose and become compost.
Note: Some countries (e.g.: Finland) do not allow you to bury bokashi cake in the soil. So, make sure to check for details with your local authorities.
You can combine the two composting methods if you also have a traditional composting pile. As such, you get to add your bokashi mass to your traditional composting pile. Then, cover the composting pile with hay, straw, or sawdust and turn the pile once in a while. The compost is normally ready in about 6 months.
Another great way to use the bokashi cake, especially for urban dwellers, is to put it in a large pot. Essentially, you need to fill up the pot to about one-third with bokashi cake. Next, you add another third of the soil and mix them up properly. Finally, you need to top up the pot with soil. Then, you should wait for a minimum of 14 days before planting anything in that pot.
Watch the video below to get an even better sense of how easy it is to use bokashi cake. In it, you’ll see a satisfied Bokashi Organko 1 user adding the fermented mass to a raised garden beam.
We encourage you to make the most of this year’s ICAW by committing to bokashi composting. Using any of the above-presented methods will directly or indirectly add high nutritional value and large numbers of beneficial microorganisms to the soil. Hence, active soil will support your plants properly. As such, the plants will get to absorb nutrients more efficiently. Moreover, EM will form a protective microbiome around plant roots for natural protection.
Nonetheless, it is essential to first properly collect your organic waste. Then, you need to ensure that the bokashi process takes the right course. Only with these two phases successfully implemented can you use bokashi cake to ensure active soil. Hence, we recommend enrolling in Bokashi Academy. There, you will cover the COLLECT, the PROCESS, and the USE phases. Furthermore, you will also learn how to efficiently close #bokashiloop.
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