Talk to me about Bokashi or Greencones

[MummyDoIt]

Saw these mentioned on another thread and am seriously tempted to buy one. We compost raw kitchen waste at the moment. Cooked waste goes in our brown bin, along with garden rubbish, which the council collects fortnightly but it is starting to smell bad in the heat (even though I wrap all food waste in newspaper). I like the sound of being able to compost all kitchen waste myself. Does anyone have any experience of these systems? What maintenance do they require? How quickly do they fill up? Do you get any smell at all?

[wheresthehamster]

Was this the thread you saw? Some info here

[MummyDoIt]

No, I saw it on a thread about smelly bins but that link is extremely useful. Thanks.

[sandy4]

We have just started using bokashi bins & they don't smell. Takes about 3 or 4 weeks to fill (family of 5).

BUT I emptied it on the compost weeks ago & it still looks the same. I was expecting it to decompose into nothing, or something resembling compost.

[cmotdibbler]

We've been doing Bokashi for 9 months now. Takes 4 weeks or so to fill it, then you leave it sealed to pickle for another two weeks after that. You can then just dig it into the garden, or add it to a composter.

It is a bit freaky as it comes out of the Bokashi looking exactly the same as it went in, and then takes a couple of months in the composter (best to break it up and add other stuff), but then breaks totally down into compost within 4 months of adding it.

In terms of use - you can put anything in the bin - cooked, raw, dairy, meat, fish, bones except tea bags, and just add a scoop of bokashi bran to each layer, making sure its pressed down really well and the lid is on tight between times. No offensive smell, just a slightly sweet odour when lifting the lid. No offensive smell around the composter and no flies.