Building Living Soil with Bokashi: A Step-by-Step Guide

Living soil means self-sustaining, self-balancing soil that is full of life.

Microorganisms and organic matter make living soil.

Bokashi is about applying microorganisms and organic matter.

Introduction to Bokashi and Living Soil

Living soil is full of life. It’s home to bacteria, fungi, insects, worms, and more. All of these creatures work together to help plants grow strong and healthy. When soil is alive, it can feed plants better, hold more water, and protect roots from disease. One powerful way to build living soil is by using bokashi.

Bokashi is a method of fermenting organic material using beneficial microbes. These good microbes make special chemicals called metabolites. The metabolites help plants, feed other soil organisms, and improve soil structure. In this article, you’ll learn how bokashi works, how to make it, and how to use it in your garden to build healthy, living soil.

What Is Bokashi?

Bokashi is a Japanese word that means “fermented organic matter.” It’s not compost. Instead of rotting or breaking down in the presence of oxygen (aerobic decomposition), the bokashi process is in a low-oxygen (anaerobic) environment. Therefore, the bokashi process is a biological stabilization of materials. This type of fermentation is similar to how foods like yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut are made.

The bokashi method uses a liquid blend of friendly microbes called “Effective Microorganisms” or EM. Dr. Teruo Higa first developed the EM formula in the 1970s at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan. He discovered that when mixed with certain microbes, they create a powerful system that supports plant and soil health. In 1982, he named his discovery “EM”. The formula was first developed to provide farmers with an alternative to synthetic chemicals. Today, EM is used in agriculture, gardening, and environmental cleanup, and there is a formula for people to ingest called Pro EM-1.

The key microbes in EM-1 include:

• Lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus spp.)
  These bacteria make lactic acid, which helps control bad microbes and preserves nutrients. Lactic acid also feeds plant roots and soil microbes.
• Yeasts (Saccharomyces spp.)
  Yeasts help ferment and produce vitamins (B-complex vitamins) and enzymes. They also break down sugars into alcohols and carbon dioxide. In all, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is found in breads, beer, wines, and many other foods, produces over 16,000 different metabolites.
• Phototrophic bacteria (Rhodopseudomonas spp.)
  These bacteria can use light to grow and make natural antibiotics and amino acids. In the dark, they can use organic acids as a food source. They help detoxify soil and promote the growth of other microbes. These bacteria are incredibly versatile and incredibly important to the EM formula.

These microbes live together and work as a team. They make metabolites like amino acids, organic acids, enzymes, and vitamins. These substances help plants grow, support fungi and worms, and protect against harmful microbes. EM-1 is used to make bokashi:

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How Bokashi Helps Build Living Soil

Living soil is like a busy city under your feet. There are tiny highways, buildings made of root hairs, and millions of residents working daily. Bokashi feeds this underground city by adding both food and life.

Here are some ways bokashi helps build living soil:

1. Adds Beneficial Microbes

When you add bokashi to soil, you’re not just adding nutrients. You’re adding living microbes that stay active and multiply. These microbes help break down organic matter faster and turn it into humus, the dark, rich material that plants love.

2. Improves Soil Structure

Microbes produce sticky substances, known as polysaccharides, that help soil particles clump together. This creates spaces for air and water to flow. Roots can grow deeper, and worms can move freely. Good soil structure also prevents erosion and runoff.

3. Feeds the Soil Food Web

The soil food web comprises bacteria, fungi, nematodes, protozoa, insects, and worms. Bokashi helps by feeding the smallest members of this web. In turn, these tiny organisms feed larger ones, creating a healthy balance that supports plant life.

4. Recycles Nutrients Quickly

Because bokashi is already fermented, it breaks down quickly once in the soil. Nutrients become available to plants more quickly than with traditional compost. This helps your garden grow strong even in poor or tired soil.

5. Suppresses Harmful Microbes

The acids and enzymes made during fermentation help prevent harmful bacteria and fungi from taking over. Bokashi creates a healthier environment for roots and soil creatures.

How to Make Bokashi

Making bokashi at home is simple and inexpensive. You’ll need a few materials, most of which can be found at a garden center or feed store.

Ingredients:

• *Wheat bran or rice bran (about 10 lbs)
• Molasses (unsulfured) – ½ cup
• Water – about 4 cups (clean or RO)
• EM-1 or another effective microorganism solution – ½ cup

*Although rice and wheat bran are the most common forms of bokashi, these materials are just a carbon source for the microbes to grow on. In place of wheat or rice bran, you can use any dried plant material like ground leaves, wood chips, dried grass clippings, coffee chaff, etc.

Instructions:

1. Mix the water, molasses, and EM.
   Combine your water, molasses, and EM solution in a bucket. Stir until the molasses dissolves.
2. Add bran slowly.
   Slowly add the bran to the liquid while mixing. You want the mixture to feel like damp sand. It should hold together if you squeeze it, but shouldn’t drip water. Add more bran or water to get the right texture.
3. Pack it tightly into a container.
   Use a plastic bag, a bucket with a lid, or any airtight container. Press the mixture down to remove air.
4. Let it ferment.
   Store the container in a dark, warm place (60–80°F or 16–27°C) for 2 to 4 weeks. Check it after two weeks. It should smell sweet and sour, like pickles or bread dough. If it smells bad, it may have been contaminated with oxygen.
5. Dry and store.
   After fermentation, spread the bokashi bran out on a tarp or screen to dry. Once dry, store it in a sealed container until you’re ready to use it.

Now you’re ready to use your bokashi to ferment food waste or add directly to soil. This recipe is a great starter recipe. As you feel more comfortable making bokashi, you can change the formula to make larger piles and recycle more materials.

How to Use Bokashi in the Garden For Living Soil

There are two main ways to use bokashi in your garden: fermenting food scraps or applying bokashi bran directly to the soil.

Using Bokashi Food Waste:

1. Start with a bokashi bucket.
   Use a bucket with a tight lid and a drain at the bottom. This lets you remove any liquid that forms (called bokashi tea). You can use this tea, diluted 1:100, to water plants or pour it into drains to clean them.
2. Add food scraps and bokashi bran.
   Add your kitchen scraps daily and sprinkle a handful of bokashi bran over the top. Press it down to remove air, then close the lid.
3. Continue until full.
   Keep layering until the bucket is full. Let it sit for 10 to 14 days after the last addition to complete fermentation.
4. Bury in soil.
   Dig a trench or hole 8 to 12 inches deep in your garden. Add the fermented food waste and mix lightly with the soil. Cover with at least 12 inches of soil. Wait 2 weeks before planting on top.

Using Bokashi Bran as a Soil Amendment:

1. Sprinkle on the soil surface.
   Apply bokashi bran to garden beds or containers at a rate of 1 to 2 cups per square meter.
2. Mix it into the topsoil.
   Lightly rake or dig the bran into the top few inches of soil.
3. Water it in.
   Use non-chlorinated water to moisten the soil. This helps the microbes spread and get to work.
4. Cover with mulch.
   Mulching helps protect the microbes and keeps the soil moist and warm.

You can do this once a month during the growing season or every time you replant a bed. This is also a great way to digest mulch and encourage fungal growth on soil (you should see a nice fungal bloom within a day or so after applying the bokashi).

Repeat the Process To Create Living Soil

Creating living soil with bokashi is not a one-time task. It’s an ongoing process that gets better over time. Building a living soil could take several years depending on your starting point.

Here’s how to keep it going:

• Feed your soil regularly. Keep adding bokashi food waste or bran every few weeks.
• Use cover crops. Plants like clover, rye, and vetch add roots and nutrients to the soil.
• Avoid digging too much. Tilling disturbs microbes and fungal networks. Instead, use hand tools or no-dig methods.
• Add mulch. Leaves, straw, and grass clippings help keep moisture and feed the microbes.
• Rotate crops. Different plants feed different microbes. Rotation keeps the soil community balanced.
• Make more bokashi. You can keep making bokashi year-round and apply it in spring, summer, and fall.

Final Thoughts: Building Living Soil with Bokashi

Bokashi is more than a way to recycle food waste. It’s a tool for growing healthy, living soil that supports plants, animals, and people. Feeding your soil with beneficial microbes and organic matter creates a strong foundation for any garden.

With a little time and care, bokashi can turn even poor soil into a rich, living ecosystem. And once your soil is alive, your plants will show it—with brighter leaves, stronger roots, and bigger harvests.

Whether you’re growing vegetables, flowers, or fruit trees, bokashi can help you create a thriving garden that works with nature, not against it.