AJs Land of Random Thoughts

[Suki]

Bokashi its microbes you add to wheat bran and dry it then you can add it to your soil. The microbes (LAB a KNF recipe) is a dynamic composter and breaks down amendments and old roots left in your soil faster. Bokashi also encourages all the fuzzy white stuff. It is fairly cheap to buy but since I make LAB from time to time anyway I just started making bokashi then I can add it to my soil whenever needed without going through the rice water and fermenting stages of LAB. I do not know if they are directly interchangeable working on figuring that out.

I have a bulk bag of Mycorrhiza(from buildasoil of course) I use as well when I first drop in a seeding. Those are the only beneficial I add anymore. I seem to get as much activity from those two things as I did all the expensive stuff you can buy.

Ah! I couldn't tell from the pic lol the bokashi that came with my BAS kit didn't look like that. I'm trying out making labs from oats as I read you can use pretty much any grain interchangeably. I figure the oats have a higher nutritional value than the rice would. Also started an apple J as its what I had on hand, and some FPJ from the huge leaves I took off the plant in the 2x2.

 

[AJrexxx]

Ah! I couldn't tell from the pic lol the bokashi that came with my BAS kit didn't look like that. I'm trying out making labs from oats as I read you can use pretty much any grain interchangeably. I figure the oats have a higher nutritional value than the rice would. Also started an apple J as its what I had on hand, and some FPJ from the huge leaves I took off the plant in the 2x2.

I have never tried it but it should work. Rice is easy and the starch rinses off fairly easy. The LAB is what you want to attract and it likes starch. I am not sure the nutrition in the oats will come through but it could. That is a science guy question although I know someone around here used to swear by putting a small amount of oats in their soil mix.

Yeah it is bokashi it will look more traditional in a few days it is still wet and clumpy.

 

[Suki]

I have never tried it but it should work. Rice is easy and the starch rinses off fairly easy. The LAB is what you want to attract and it likes starch. I am not sure the nutrition in the oats will come through but it could. That is a science guy question although I know someone around here used to swear by putting a small amount of oats in their soil mix.

Yeah it is bokashi it will look more traditional in a few days it is still wet and clumpy.

I let them soak overnight, instead of just doing a rinse, then strained the liquid into a jar. We will see lol. I did add a sprinkle of them over the top of the soil and in the worm bin for fun, the mycelium went nuts for it lol.

 

[AJrexxx]

Ah! I couldn't tell from the pic lol the bokashi that came with my BAS kit didn't look like that. I'm trying out making labs from oats as I read you can use pretty much any grain interchangeably. I figure the oats have a higher nutritional value than the rice would. Also started an apple J as its what I had on hand, and some FPJ from the huge leaves I took off the plant in the 2x2.

I am starting to think instead of making LAB every two months I will see if I get the same results I will just run LAB every six months just to make 10lbs of bokashi as in theory it is the same Beneficial's just in dry form that stores better. I have tried everything to store lab adding sugar, cool room, adding equal weight sugar and cool room (so damn messy).

So trying to keep it simple.

 

[AJrexxx]

I let them soak overnight, instead of just doing a rinse, then strained the liquid into a jar. We will see lol. I did add a sprinkle of them over the top of the soil and in the worm bin for fun, the mycelium went nuts for it lol.

Try and make cheese with the curds it is a fun experiment my kids loved doing it.

 

[Suki]

I am starting to think instead of making LAB every two months I will see if I get the same results I will just run LAB every six months just to make 10lbs of bokashi as in theory it is the same Beneficial's just in dry form that stores better. I have tried everything to store lab adding sugar, cool room, adding equal weight sugar and cool room (so damn messy).

So trying to keep it simple.

I read that it could be refrigerated? Idk if that's an option?

 

[AJrexxx]

I read that it could be refrigerated? Idk if that's an option?

Yeah it works but you get all kinds of speculation how long that lasts. some say a month some say indefinitely I know the cold suspends them but at some point to have to give them more food. It also is not terrible smelling but no one is make an LAB candle scent anytime soon either.

I am thinking at some point i am going to need a microscope to check this out for myself.

 

[Suki]

Yeah it works but you get all kinds of speculation how long that lasts. some say a month some say indefinitely I know the cold suspends them but at some point to have to give them more food. It also is not terrible smelling but no one is make an LAB candle scent anytime soon either.

I am thinking at some point i am going to need a microscope to check this out for myself.

Wonder if you could treat it like sourdough starter, seems like the chemistry would be similar.

 

[AJrexxx]

Okay bokashi is dry and in a bucket. For anyone that is curious 6lbs of bran makes about a 2 gallon bucket full of bokashi. It was a pretty simple process and did not take much time just a bit of waiting. This is my first big batch I have noticed mine smells similar to the ones I have bought before just stronger I guess is the word. Not sure if that is just because it is fresh and the smell dissipates over time on the others or I use more lab than they do.

 

[AJrexxx]

Okay I am a complete Bonsai failure. I had all these plans of training these guys. You can see though they are just growing into their own jungle in corner of the tent. Still going pretty strong. I did these with coco in the soil mix to help with water retention as the pots are only 2 gallons. No issues yet which is nice and a smidge unexpected, but I will take it. In the past when flower hits I usually will see a deficiency every now and then with the coco in my soil mix. Not this time though.