I Will Attempt to Sell You on Bokashi

In my first post I mentioned this indoor composting method I have been trying. I am pretty into it. I discovered it about a year ago we when were going through a phase of trying to eat at home more.  I was getting frustrated with how much food we were throwing away. The main clue was my smelly trashcan, but I also didn't like the idea that I was buying things that I only used a bit of before chucking the rest in the trash.

Every time I cooked or had something to eat there was some part of something that went in the trashcan- an orange peel, egg shell, the white stuff inside a bell pepper, the tops of strawberries, parts of garlic, the onions I always pick around. Or we weren't eating left overs fast enough. Towards the end of the week I would open my fridge and a litany of whines and conflicting feelings would just bubble up - throw it all away! I don't want to eat spaghetti again! I am broke! I don't want to take out the trash! 

Needless to say, I started browsing ways to deal with food scraps if you don't have a yard. The Bokashi bin stood out for three main reasons: the gross factor is pretty limited, it is easy, and you can put anything in it, including oil, meat, and dairy. In my household we have slight germaphobic tendencies and regular bouts of laziness. A terrible combination one would think, for composting indoors. Not for Bokashi, this method suits people with both those inclinations.

Before We Begin...

I am posting DIY Bokashi bucket instructions but you can buy manufactured bins.
 They look nicer and have a spigot. Probably the main reason it took me a year to get started was the start up cost if you go this route. Most manufactured or pre-made buckets are about 40 dollars, with an added ten for the Bran mixture, and I kept reading that it is ideal to have two buckets (it is). Eventually I buckled down and chose a couple sites with clear directions for making them yourself. It is less expensive, it literally took about 10 minutes per bucket once I had the supplies, and they definitely do the job. I'll admit the pre-made ones maybe worth it to avoid the hassle of shopping and for visual appeal, but I found these features mattered less or seemed less significant with time. Do what you gotta do to get started, if for you that is ordering it on the net, by all means - give it a go.

For those that don't have access to a yard don't get discouraged by the last step in the Bokashi process.
The last step in the Bokashi process calls for burying the Bokashi scraps in dirt or a compost pile. This seemingly requires a yard or compost bin but people have figured out ways around this. I just wanted to give you a heads up so you don't stop there. I have links to solutions further down.

Austin gives rebates to people that compost and offers composting classes.

I live in an apartment so it was hard for me to figure out how to get the rebate and ultimately focusing on this as a first step was preventing me from starting. If you can get one though, I'd recommend it, even if just to let Austin know that you support cool initiatives like this.

http://www.austintexas.gov/composting

Bokashi Part 1:

My Attempt to Explain Bokashi,

Links to Instructions for the DIY Bucket,

and Troubleshooting

This composting method works via an anaerobic process (I am sort of flying by the seat of my pants here, so bear with me) so as opposed to most compost methods it does not require contact with the air to get the decomposition process started. You keep the waste in an air tight bucket and cover your food scraps with a bran mixture that is mixed with micro organisms that work to ferment or sort of pickle your waste. As your bin is filling up, a liquid will gather in the reservoir below (you'll understand if you see the instructions). This liquid can be emptied about once a week, depending on how much you accumulate, and you can dilute it with water and use it on your plants. The microbes in the leachate are great for plants. People call it Bokashi Tea.

Once your Bokashi container is full (there are basically layers of food and then bran mix) you close it up and put it away for a few days. You don't want it to get super hot or super cold so if you are in a land of extreme temperatures, like summer Texas, maybe just sealing it up and putting in a closet is best. Remember, it doesn't smell or anything so no worries about stuff leeching out and permeating your things.

After anywhere between a few days to two weeks, take your Bokashi scrap mix and either bury it in the ground or in a compost pile.  If you bury it in the ground, you want it to be about a shovel head deep and wide enough to sort of spread the Bokashi scraps so that they all make contact with the dirt. Before you bury it completely again, also put a scoop of dirt on top that you mix in with the scraps, then bury it completely. If you put it in a compost pile burry it a little, don't just throw it on top. Or you can put it in one of those ones that spin.

After a couple of weeks you will have excellent compost dirt that you can mix in with your garden. Or if you are not a gardener just let it sit buried and bask in the reality that your trash is mostly paper now and you kept this stuff from sliming up a landfill.

The site below goes into more detail about the Bokashi bran mixture:

http://www.compostguy.com/anaerobic-digestion/bokashi-basics/

And this is a great FAQ page for Bokashi. Lots of excellent troubleshooting tips.

http://www.sunburstunlimited-org.doodlekit.com/home/faq_about_bokashi_composting

Here are the links I used to build the bucket myself: 

1. http://www.timetorecycle.com/compost/bokashi.asp

2. http://www.everyday-simple-living.com/bokashi.html

One of my buckets

My Suggestions/Troubleshooting:

1. Start with two buckets.
You skirt the possibility of running across a situation where you stop for a while and lose steam.

2. The screen is optional.
The second site I listed calls for a screen. I went ahead for the screen but I don't think it is necessary. It just ensures that scraps won't fall through the holes and start rotting and smelling in the reservoir below. If the holes are small enough though, this shouldn't be an issue. The problem with a screen is you have to buy a whole roll even though you only need a small portion, and it costs about 10-12 dollars. I was able to use the remaining part on constructing things in my garden (a critter barrier for my tomatoes). You could do this cool DIY project too: http://www.restoredstyle.com/diy-earring-display-frame/. Basically it is more precautionary than anything, so don't let this cost point hold you back.

3. I use a screw top lid for the bucket (as suggested at the bottom of the page in the first link posted above).
It is more expensive, seven dollars, but it is easier to open - another laziness and burn out prevention tactic, and it keeps air from getting in.

4. If you don't have a drill, they will make the holes for you at Home Depot.

5. You need a barrier between your food and the empty space above it in the bucket.
They make this seem optional on some sites but it really isn't. Mold kept forming on the side of my bucket where there was condensation. I read that some white mold is ok, and it wasn't forming on the food, but I didn't want to risk it. This barrier, be it something more solid like a pot lid or simple like a paper plate, really keeps it at bay. I have been using a cut out piece of cardboard.

6. It is ok if there is not a lot of liquid forming at the bottom.

You're still doing it right.

7. The leachate is smelly.
I was worried when I went to pour out the accumulated water and there was smelliness but that is normal.  It is the only smelly part of the process. 

8. Keep a bowl in the kitchen to accumulate scraps before opening the bucket.

I have a bowl sitting on my counter where I put scraps while cooking, so I can put them all in the bucket at once after the meal. This reduces the amount of times the Bokashi scraps in the bucket are exposed to air and it's just a hassle having to open and close it all the time. It also helps to give you a chance to consider using parts of the scraps in your garden- like egg shells or coffee grounds.

9. You might want something to press down the scraps as they add up.
We use a plunger.

Bokashi Part 2:

No Yard No Problem

The last part of the Bokashi process was the real stickler for me. The whole thing is touted as this urban-living-friendly alternative until it asks for a big hole in the ground or a compost pile. Kind of defeats the purpose one would think. I did some research and found some ways around this.

1. Burying Bokashi in a bin.

http://eachoneteachonefarms.com/2012/08/12/new-video-burying-your-bokashi-bucket-indoors/

and

Suggestions for Bokashi in an Apartment or Condo.

http://eachoneteachonefarms.com/2011/09/29/bokashi-composting-in-an-apartment-condo/

The links above are to the same website that also has video instructions, which is great if you want some reinforcement that you are on the right track. I found it through the first link, and the second page listed has some excellent ideas.

2. Drop off locations in Austin.

You should call some of these ahead of time to see if they take Bokashi, since they may have restrictions about meat or dairy.

http://compostcoalition.com/map-drop-locations/

It does takes some extra work if you don't have a yard but I figure the pros of the extremely easy, brainless, gross-less process, out weigh my anxiety over having to leave the house and reach out to others. The burden you place on others is actually pretty minor and most people are interested and excited to learn more about this cool new thing.

Part 3:

Reflections

As a result of this whole venture we take our trash out less often, it consists of mostly dry stuff like paper and packaging from things, the Bokashi tea (the liquid that accumulates at the bottom diluted with water) is great for our house plants and the garden, I am more aware of my ecological footprint, and I feel like I have a better understanding of how some basic natural processes work now that I am a part of ushering them along. So it is kind of a home run.

After having done this process through, and researching and finding even more cool ideas and ways to execute it, I am just kind of pumped and struggling to find a good reason not to try it. I think the hurdle to composting is the idea that you have to have be into gardening to get anything out of it. Not only does it make parts of your daily life easier, but in a fundamental way if you eat food or enjoy greenery in the world you sort of depend on something using compost or quality dirt at some point. So it isn't that foreign or irrelevant to your life. Whether you do anything with it or just leave it buried in your yard, it is still much more useful than it would be sitting in a dump. 

Sometimes in our house when we can't fall asleep at night we put on educational shows or weird science shows to lull us to sleep. Lately the show of choice has been "Dirty Jobs." The host, Mike Rowe, travels the US to take part in the dirtiest jobs he can find. The other night, I could not keep my eyes closed during this one episode where Mike visits the San Francisco dump. It was pretty gross and I noticed when looking at the trash, how much of the grossness was due to food scraps. After doing Bokashi for a while, it was a relief to think that the extent of the grossness, the vastness, and the waste is not necessarily inevitable, though it is easy to think so. Bokashi is a way to reduce your contribution to this mess and to give your food a second life.

My plants have holes

Some of my plants have holes and weird things are showing up...

White web on the bottom

And one may be "damping off," this is a disease where it starts rotting where the plant meets the soil.  Things are getting real. I noticed the beginning stages of all this a little over a week ago, the holes and a leaning plant (this problem seems to haunt me), but I thought I had time. I got so bogged down in researching treatments that I may have let it take off a bit. I read on the Internet that the culprit could be slugs and that slugs don't like slithering and sliming over pointy things like eggshells, go figure. I brought over a few egg shells after breakfast and had enough to crumble around the affected plants, there weren't that many at the time. I was sort of winging it. I had a feeling it wasn't slugs though, since the plants just didn't seem strong enough to hold the weight of something that big... and stupid. Before I knew it, nearly a week had gone by and suddenly there were a ton of holes and a falling over serrano plant! I sort of panicked and immediately went home and whipped up some of the recipes I had been eyeing for insecticides and fungicides, it was super easy and simple. Of course, I don't know why I didn't do this sooner. One is just Dr. Bronner's soap and water, the other is baking soda and water and soap. Also, apparently cinnamon might help curb the damping off business. We'll see. Hopefully this stuff will show results soon otherwise my garden may be covered in all sorts of spices and weird concoctions by the end of the weekend.

I thinned the plants last weekend too. Thinning is pulling out some of the plants that pop up out of the same spot so they aren't battling for resources. A bunch will come up at one spot because you plant several seeds together (I never knew this!). It is strange pulling plants after having coaxed them above ground. It is a dog eat dog world though. Since I thinned, some of the plants have really shot up. That is how it works, I guess. Making death traps for slugs, growing and then subsequently ripping out the plants you grow, making poisons. You definitely learn to have priorities and develop a thicker skin, and maybe to be more attentive and strategic to avoid some of the plant carnage. Eh.

I had some more lessons this week. Like one, if you connect the hose wrong and it is not sitting quite right and making a screeching sound, just turn off the water first and then fix it. You can not defy physics and manage to reset everything with out getting soaking wet and angry. This is not the first time I have tried this and believe me, save yourself the trouble. It's funny, there was a moment when I was walking back to the garden and noticed the swelling screech that I hesitated and thought "do I go back and turn off the water first or can I make it work and save the trip." Muddy shoes and several curse words later I was squishing back up to the faucet to turn it off anyway.

Two - sometimes you need a book. The idea had crossed my mind but I was just kind of hard pressed to find a reason to commit when I had the wealth of info on the net. The problem is that I was often looking things up after the fact and it was so stressful finding a legitimate source. It was contributing to this frenzied method, re-wording questions a bunch of times to get the right answer and finding ten different pages that all sort of say the same thing but are slightly different enough to make them each seem crucial and important. Then my anniversary with my boyfriend came up and the bad ass read my mind and showed up with a book on organic vegetable gardening.  It includes maps and dates for planting and recipes for pesticides and things. I still use the Internet but it is so nice to just flip to a page, rather than having to strategically search all the time. I definitely feel more at ease.

It's strange. In some ways, gardens move really slowly. There is only so much you can do other than wait. But the slow process is deceiving, it makes it easy for problems to sneak up.  You risk becoming complacent and then all of sudden you have an epidemic on your hands. "Epidemic" maybe an exaggeration but that is what it felt like at first. I was deliriously tired for some reason when we checked on the garden after work the other day too, that didn't help. I need to remember to check on the garden when I am in the right state of mind to have some perspective. There is a weird balance though that I always struggle to find, somewhere between being obsessive and overly attentive, and spacing out, and a garden definitely tests this. It is easy to get burned out when you are swinging between extremes. I think creating a routine will help ensure that I occupy most of my time suspended somewhere in between the two, hopefully right in the middle.

Here's are some photos of the plants' progress in general, it isn't so bad...

Beans

Cucumbers

Cucumbers

Bell pepper

Bell Pepper

Poor Serrano, we tied it to a stick to help it stay up

Okra

Okra

Zucchini

Watermelon

Critter protected tomatoes.

Yellow Squash

Cantalope

In other news, we went to the beach. Here is cool picture of a dog we saw. He was fascinated by the birds and Andrew pointed out that he probably could have just pulled over the chair and gone for them but didn't. What a good dog. Also, while I was standing waist deep in the water I looked down and saw a TURTLE right next to my leg. It immediately took off but we were able to watch it's silhouette in the waves as it swam away. Sometimes you need a trip to the beach. Also, I am growing some tomatoes on my patio and a tiny green tomato showed up this week. Score!

Alright, gardening.

I have never successfully grown anything. I bought two houseplants last year and they were both near death till last Friday when in a planting frenzy I added some compost to them (who knew plants need nutrients?), now I think things are looking up for them - they aren't leaning over and I can no longer lift the plants with a clump of roots and all, out of the soil from their cute pots, so that's a good sign I think. I won't even begin with the Aloe Vera plant I was charged with caring for in college. That one I still feel bad about because there was a super sweet story that went with the plant and everything, that's for another post. The point is I have tried repeatedly to grow things and despite misadventure I still find myself gravitating towards this hobby. I think this means I might as well make friends with my apparent interest and put some flipping elbow grease into it.

How it came together. The stars were somewhat aligned, that was part, but it was also one part me just feeling the pressure to finally do the things I had been thinking about and writing off for a long time. My step mom had a bunch of extra dirt left over from her other projects, a neglected garden plot that was likely to be left unattended again due to travel, I had finally made the indoor compost bin I had been planning for literally a year (more on that later), and it was early April. I was also full of nervous energy after getting accepted into grad school and worrying about being capable and compatible and surviving the experience and ugh, you know, the list goes on. I am sure we'll come back to that at many different points. I am a worry warrior, I will put that out on this cyber table right now. I have my share of personal life crises - existential mostly, maybe it's a 20s thing, which brings me to the other hopeful byproduct of this gardening project, other than just pushing through a challenge. While literally sowing seeds and battling the insane Texas heat, I am hoping to also ward off or at least keep at bay those other pesky seeds, those seeds of stupid self doubt that seem to be able to catch a ride on even the slightest breeze, take root, and feast on all possibility and hope. Not this time, not this lady, not this garden.

So the plan is to give growing things an honest go, to learn something, to hopefully consume the cool things we grow, and then to fend off the dark forces of uncertainty and anxiety that are constantly lurking in the corners.

It has been about three weeks since we started the garden, so here's a little photo collage to give you an idea of where we're at...

Don't worry, that's not a serpent, it's a drip water hose

Oh man, there was nothing like seeing those first plants peak out of the ground. My boyfriend spotted the first one because I was of course, preoccupied with finding something wrong. Seeing those first green bits in the swath of brown dirt was like spotting an Easter egg in the back yard. It was unreal.

And so it begins!