Bokashi bin
We were gifted a Bokashi bin http://www.bokashi.com.au/ by some friends. The sales pitch is that their great for apartments. We're not so convinced.
Firstly, you still need somewhere to bury the compacted waste once it is full. Unlike worm farms, which break down the waste into soil, the Bokashi bin only ferments and compacts the waste. We did this once or twice into our larger pots, but then ran out of places. You also can't compost the waste - it must be buried (as my partner's parents discovered the hard way!)
Secondly, the fermenting waste produces a stream of potent fertiliser that must be emptied pretty much every day. If you don't it will stink up the place. As it is so potent, it must be diluted with water, so you'll always have more output than you can use in a small garden like ours. Or you have to tip it down the sink which kind of defeats the purpose (and in our case was very stinky...)
The other thing we found is that if you didn't use the "official" Bokashi (from the link above) we had problems with the smell.
So while we love the concept, we wouldn't recommend it for apartments.
Comments (4)
Grant, is that an actual pineapple growing on your pineapple plant? Or did you just position one from a store on top for the photo. If it's the former, may I just say: Holy crap! As a person from a chillier climate I am frequently amazed by the sight of trpoical fruit actually growing on something.
Wow that pineapple is way cool. How long did it take to grow? [Jmac you are so cynical :-)]
Dave has just harvested our worm farm into a seedling container ... wonder what will emerge. Keep you posted ... I'm not so sure bout da Bokashi bin either - anything that requires you to buy their product to sustain it is a lil irritating - I just can't think of it as a printer I guess. :-)
The diluted bokashi juice is supposed to be great for keeping your drains clear. Also, a friend gives hers away at work and reckons it's always taken within 5 minutes of sending out an email.
Have recently moved to an apartment so have yet to spark up the bokashi bin due to the prospect of having to do a ninja number to bury the booty.
But for what it's worth, here's a link about making homemade bokashi mix. Have yet to try it, so would be keen to know how it goes...
http://bokashicomposting.com/
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