. . . . . F A Q . . . . . .

• 1 )  How does the system work?
  The Bokashi bucket uses beneficial microbes to FERMENT organic waste rather than allowing decay. The end result is a fermented (or pickled) mass of waste which can go straight into the soil where it will form valuable compost.
  
• 2 )  How much Bokashi do I use?
  Just a light sprinkle over the top of the waste in the bucket.  As long as the surface area
  is covered, that is enough
  
• 3 )  Are the beneficial microbes safe?
  Absolutely.  The microbes used in Bokashi are organically certified by NASAA.  The
  types of microbes used are those already found in many types of food, including
  cheeses and yogurts.
  
• 4 )  What can I put in the bucket?
  Any type of organic matter produced in the kitchen, which means you can add
  vegetable scraps, tea leaves, tea bags, small amounts of paper, coffee grounds,
  onions, citrus, garlic, wilted flowers, tissues, even meat.  DO NOT put dog or cat faeces
  in the bucket, as these are a human health risk
  
• 5 )  How much does it cost to run?
  Refill packs are available in 1 kg bags.  1 kg should last the average household about
  10 - 12 weeks.  A great way of obtaining 20 kg of totally natural fertiliser every 4-6
  weeks!
  
• 6 )  What can I do with the material when the bucket is full?
  There are a number of things you can do.  Firstly, you can bury the contents of  the
  bucket directly into your garden.  Just cover it up with soil or mulch and in 4-6 weeks it
  will have broken down into rich fertiliser for the soil;  when the bucket is full again, you
  can do the same thing in a different part of the garden.
  Alternatively, you can place the contents directly into an outside compost bin.
  If you live in an apartment, you could give the fermented waste to a community garden,
  friends,  relatives or the building gardener.
  
• 7 )  How often do I need to add Bokashi?
  Usually about once a day;  less often if you are not adding to the bucket
  
• 8 )  Is fermenting better than compost?
  Compost is a good source of nutrients for your garden;  however, during the
  composting process, much of the goodness is lost.  Fermented waste, however, retains
  all the energy (no heat loss) and most of the nutrients in the waste.  Fermented waste
  has the bonus of providing beneficial microbes to your garden and this, over time, will
  produce amazing results.
  

 

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• 9 )  Is fermenting good for the environment?
  Fermenting waste is more efficient than composting.  Greenhouse gas emissions are
  greatly reduced during fermentation, there are no insect or rodent problems and the
  end product is extremely valuable as a soil conditioner and fertiliser.  The process
  retains all the energy (not released to the atmosphere) and all the water is retained, not
  evaporated
• 10 )  What if the bucket starts to smell?
  Check that the lid is being replaced tightly and that you have covered the
  surface area of the waste with Bokashi.  Secondly, make sure the fluid is
  drained off, using the tap.  Finally, make sure that the waste has been
  compacted down with a masher or similar, to ensure there are no air pockets.  
  If the waste is too smelly, simply empty the waste into your garden, rinse the
  bucket in water (no detergent) and start again
• 11 )  Do I need to wash the bucket when I empty it?
  Yes, but just with fresh water.  Do not use soap or detergents, as
  these will kill the microbes.  Remember to line the drain plate with a thin
  layer of Bokashi before adding waste
• 12 )  What can I do with the liquid?
  This liquid is teeming with microbes and nutrients!  You can dilute it and use
  this directly on your garden or plants:  dilute 1:1000 for foliar spray or 1:100
  (10ml per 1 litre) for lawns and garden beds.  If you have a septic system, you
  can add the liquid undiluted to the toilet or septic tank.  The microbes will work
  to make the septic system more efficient.  Alternatively, you can simply tip it
  down the sink  -  the microbes will go to work on your drains and keep them
  clean.
• 13 )  How much liquid will I get from the bucket?
  The amount of liquid that you get, will be dependent on the waste you have
  put in  -  lots of fruit will produce lots of liquid, but if you have lots of cooked
  food, vegetables etc, then you'll get less.  The amount of liquid is not an
  indicator of whether the system is working and you won't get any more (or
  less) liquid by increasing (or decreasing) the amount of Bokashi you add.  
  Expect some variation in colour of the liquid.
• 14 )  What if I go on holiday?
  Simply drain the liquid from the bucket, make sure there is a layer of Bokashi
  on the waste and the lid is firmly sealed.  While you are gone, the microbes will
  keep the waste odour free.
• 15 )  How do I know if it's working?
  The only test on whether the system is working is the absence of rotting odour.
   If there is no such odour, then the fermenting bugs must be doing their job!
• 16 )  The waste hasn't broken down in the bucket.  What's wrong?
  The Bokashi bucket will NOT decompose the material while the material is in
  the bucket  -  it will only ferment (or pickle) it.  If you can imagine a pickled
  onion - it will still look like an onion, but because it's pickled, it will have
  changed its internal structure.  The single criterion to determine if the process
  is working is the odour
  -  if there's no rotting odour, then the fermentation process is working.  The
  physical decomposition into humus only occurs once the fermented material
  goes into the soil.  Here, it breaks down very quickly because the material has
  been pre-conditioned (i.e. fermented) and should turn into humus/soil within a
  couple of weeks (varies a bit with soil temperature)
• 17 )  How often should I drain the liquid?
  Approximately every three days  -  more if you are getting a lot of drain off.