Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 7.13:
Mycelium forming on a bucket of finished pre-compost.
After four weeks, the finished compost is ready to use. You may still see some bits of kitchen
waste at this stage, but these are still being fermented and will break down into the soil given more
time.
Atthisstagethefinishedsoilisnowreadytouse.Treatitjustasyouwouldanyotherhigh-qual-
ity soil mix. You could use the soil as part of a potting mix or incorporate it directly into the garden
by topdressing. I like to use this mixture in the bottom of my containers when I upsize transplants.
This gives the roots some nutrient-rich organic matter to reach down into, getting the plants off to a
good start. If you live in an area where the ground freezes, you can store the finished soil mix until
you are ready to use it in the spring. It doesn't matter if you put it inside or outside; it should store
for a few months either way without any problems. If it freezes and thaws at this stage, it isn't a big
deal.
You can replicate the soil mix finishing process for the bokashi pre-compost in any container
and on any scale. Just be sure to mix the bokashi pre-compost at a ratio of at least 1:2 with soil, top
with a soil cover, ensure adequate drainage, and wait.
You can also use the same method to rehabilitate used potting soil. Container gardeners regu-
larly find themselves with plant-less, soil-filled containers as the seasons change or plants die off.
A lot of these are more dirt than soil, friable and requiring amendments or complete replacement
before the next planting. Bokashi pre-compost can beusedtoaddorganic matter andnutrients back
totheseusedpottingsoils,oftentimesinthesamecontainer.Justremovetwo-thirdsofthesoilfrom
the container and set it aside. Add enough bokashi pre-compost to the container so that it is two-
