Bokashi and Leaf Mold

luigiwu · September 4, 2015

Has anyone tried to mix bokashi in with Leaf Mold?

I am intrigued by Leaf Mold - it sounds like fantastic stuff. Problem is, it seems so long to break down. From what I've read it needs water to do so. I do everything in containers and had mixed potting mix/soil in with my bokashi. I would like nothing better than to stop buying peat/potting mix and utilize something (leaves) that get thrown out!

Thoughts?

Starlight · September 6, 2015

What is bokashi? I have way to many leaves here. Most I have to burn or just let degrade naturally on the ground to feed the trees. One thing I do do, is I will go around the yard and make piles of leaves. I try to find shady and moist areas. I throw a few worms into the pile and about 4 -6 months later, my giant mountain of leaves is now composted down and I can til into the soil.

I did learn the hard way not to just til whole leaves into the ground. Did that one year and when I decided to relocate those plants back up 4 years later I still had whole leaves that had never broken down.

Huevos · January 8, 2016

Interesting question. We use bokashi for our kitchen waste, and make our own inoculant. I don't have many leaves near me, but in the South Valley of Albuquerque there are many trees, mostly Cottonwood and Mulberry. Next Fall I will make two composting piles for the leaves one with just the leaves and water and the other layered with bokashi. I'm not sure how the fungus and bacteria compete and which one will dominate, but I have a feeling the added bokashi will speed things up.

Redbaron · January 8, 2016

Well I don't make exactly "bokashi " per se. but I do make a homemade version of it with kitchen waste. Then when I build a compost pile with leaves grass clipping or ramial wood chips I layer it with the saved up coffee cans of my homemade version of bokashi. A layer of leaves, a can of bokashi, a layer of ramial wood chips, a can of bokashi, etc..

I also use horse manure between layers when available.

Yes it does make your compost pile kick off and heat up much easier, and break down faster.

But keep in mind, I am not using real bokashi, as I never paid for the original culture inoculant. I honestly don't see what the difference could be, but your mileage may vary.

Huevos · January 8, 2016

If you are familiar with EM-1 then you know what is in the bokashi mix. The commercially made bokashi is EM-1 with rice bran. We use wheat bran instead available at horse feed outlets. It is an anaerobic process using select species to break down food waste. A restaurant in ABQ which also have a chili processing business uses EM-1 for everything....from growing the chili to cleaning bathrooms and grease traps. Good stuff.

September 4, 2015	#1
luigiwu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: ny Posts: 1,219	Bokashi and Leaf Mold Has anyone tried to mix bokashi in with Leaf Mold? I am intrigued by Leaf Mold - it sounds like fantastic stuff. Problem is, it seems so long to break down. From what I've read it needs water to do so. I do everything in containers and had mixed potting mix/soil in with my bokashi. I would like nothing better than to stop buying peat/potting mix and utilize something (leaves) that get thrown out! Thoughts? __________________ Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7!

January 8, 2016	#4
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	Well I don't make exactly "bokashi " per se. but I do make a homemade version of it with kitchen waste. Then when I build a compost pile with leaves grass clipping or ramial wood chips I layer it with the saved up coffee cans of my homemade version of bokashi. A layer of leaves, a can of bokashi, a layer of ramial wood chips, a can of bokashi, etc.. I also use horse manure between layers when available. Yes it does make your compost pile kick off and heat up much easier, and break down faster. But keep in mind, I am not using real bokashi, as I never paid for the original culture inoculant. I honestly don't see what the difference could be, but your mileage may vary. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

September 6, 2015	#2
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	What is bokashi? I have way to many leaves here. Most I have to burn or just let degrade naturally on the ground to feed the trees. One thing I do do, is I will go around the yard and make piles of leaves. I try to find shady and moist areas. I throw a few worms into the pile and about 4 -6 months later, my giant mountain of leaves is now composted down and I can til into the soil. I did learn the hard way not to just til whole leaves into the ground. Did that one year and when I decided to relocate those plants back up 4 years later I still had whole leaves that had never broken down.

January 8, 2016	#3
Huevos Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: New Mexico Posts: 4	Interesting question. We use bokashi for our kitchen waste, and make our own inoculant. I don't have many leaves near me, but in the South Valley of Albuquerque there are many trees, mostly Cottonwood and Mulberry. Next Fall I will make two composting piles for the leaves one with just the leaves and water and the other layered with bokashi. I'm not sure how the fungus and bacteria compete and which one will dominate, but I have a feeling the added bokashi will speed things up.