bokashi

[hawthorns]

got my first juice out of bokashi system today.

glad to see it working it looks like very week tea.

does anyone go through the bran quicker than its supposed to last. small bag meant to last 2 months but i cant see it lasting that long.

[Alison]

You may be using more than you need, if anything we go through bran slower than it says. Suppose it depends what you put in there as to how much you need, I tend to add a bit more if I've added a smelly fish skin but not very much at all with onion peel, for example.

[JennieAtkinson]

What are you planning to do with the juice Hawthorn? So far I've only tipped mine down the sink to "enliven" the septic tank. I don't get alot as it is the office kitchen bokashi bucket.

[hawthorns]

at the mo down the drain but im going to use it as feed for my veg when needed in the summer.gonna try and feed 1 of my tom plants with bokashi and the other with traditional tom feed to see the difference.

[ChocClare]

At the moment I am adding no bran at all and just using it as a kitchen compost box but that is mainly because we have been in turmoil here - and it works fine just for usual peelings and teabags/coffee grounds. But yes, I found I was going through the bran quickly too. Now the weather is milder and I haven't got to worry about the second box freezing solid outside the back door I will re-instate the bokashi bit - but take your tip about using less bran, Alison.

Incidentally, does anyone know why you can't put teabags in it? They rot down OK in my compost heap, so that bit really surprised me.

Woohoo, this post turned me into a sprouter (as it were)! Go me!

[BarleySugar]

I was looking at these, but my OH thinks they look a bit expensive. I've persuaded them all to put the peelings in the compost bin, and we recycle all the other stuff that the council collects, but I was keen on going a bit further if we could. Problem is, my garden budget for the year is �200 and I've already spent �30, so another �70 for the 2 bins and the bran only leaves me �100 for the rest of the year. I'm interested in hearing other people's experiences before buying.
I tried a wormery once, a long time ago, but the worms died. They were on a south facing patio, and I cooked them.

[ChocClare]

I was looking at these, but my OH thinks they look a bit expensive....�70 for the 2 bins and the bran only leaves me �100 for the rest of the year. (

They're not as much as that - I only paid �25 - see this link Additional bins

[BarleySugar]

Thanks for that link, the prices obviously vary quite a bit. The �70 was in a catalogue that came throught the door, and from Original organics they are �55 for the double pack! Worth shopping around obviously, but at that price it looks well worth giving it a go.

[JennieAtkinson]

Incidentally, does anyone know why you can't put teabags in it? They rot down OK in my compost heap, so that bit really surprised me.

That explains alot! All we get in the office bokashi bin is t-bags and fruit. So the t-bags shouldn't be in it? I had better tell them!

[Alison]

I didn't know you couldn't put teabags in either, however I only put stuff in my bokashi that can't go in either the wormery or normal compost bin as I don't want to use excessive bran where I don't need to. Does mean thought that it takes an age to fill up the bins!

[ChocClare]

I only "know" about the teabags because the - laughingly called - instruction leaflet said "no tea bags" on it. I don't know why it can't cope with them - are the actual bags "plasticky" these days?

[lainey lou]

I put teabags in mine, they rot down ok haven't caused me any problems.

[Alison]

Some teabags contain plastic bits which don't compost as I've heard people complaining that they still have bits left when they turn out their bins / wormeries but the ones I get seem fine and are one of my worms favourite treats.

[JennieAtkinson]

I will have to put a T-bag questionnaire out at work - everyone has their own!

[Shortie]

A T-Bag questionaire?