Bokashi Composting System (with Kashi Blend)

Now that you have the complete composting setup, you can begin adding food scraps to the bucket. This includes any produce (fresh or cooked), meat, dairy, and bones. The only caution you will want to take is to avoid placing liquids or oil-laden foods in the bucket.
OPTIONAL: Sprinkle about a tablespoon of Kashi Blend in prior to placing any food scraps in.

1. Once you have about 2 to 3 inches of food waste in the bucket, you will want to sprinkle some Kashi Blend. Please note: You do not need a large amount of Kashi Blend for this; about 1 to 2 tablespoons will do.
2. Continue layering food waste and Kashi Blend until the bucket is completely full.
3. Now that the bucket is completely full, leave it closed for 7 to 10 days. You do this because the microbes need anaerobic (without air) conditions to complete the task of fermenting your food waste.
4. After the 7 to 10 days have passed, you will take your bucket outside and bury it in the ground. Please note: The initially fermented food waste is very acidic, so do not bury it near living plants or in an area, you intend on planting in within the next 45 days. You can bury it in garden beds you don’t plan on using for a month or two though.
5. Finally, after about 3 to 4 weeks (depending on temperatures), your compost is ready to be dug up and utilized in the garden. Additionally, you can choose to leave it and plant it directly into it after about the 6th week.

Additional Tips to Compost Successfully with Bokashi:

• You can never add too much Kashi Blend, but you really shouldn’t need more than a pound per 5-gallon bucket each time.
• The more liquids and oils you add to your composting bucket, the more often you will need to use the spigot to drain it. The microorganisms cannot do their job submerged in liquids.
• You will want to avoid placing completely rotten or moldy (blue or green) food in the bucket as well. When you add too much of these types of foods, it can cause the bokashi bucket to go bad and you definitely don’t want that!
• If you notice black or green mold forming in your bucket, add more Kashi Blend to the bucket to try and mitigate the issue.
• If you notice white mold in your bucket, it’s okay. The microorganisms are hard at work fermenting your food scraps for you. Please note: It is not necessary for “white mold” to form for the food scraps to ferment
  and if you’re opening the bucket continuously “while mold” will not form until the 7 to 10 incubation period when there are truly anaerobic conditions.
• You can drain the liquid from your bokashi bucket, commonly called leachate, and use it as a fertilizer in the garden. Please note: It needs to be diluted in water at a ratio of 1:128 (1 ounce per gallon) due to the high acidity of the liquid.