EM & Bokashi Composting

EM & Bokashi composting

Turn kitchen waste into living soil food

Bokashi is a Japanese fermentation method that turns kitchen and garden waste into a powerful soil food in just 10–14 days, using EM (Effective Microorganisms), a blend of beneficial bacteria, yeasts and photosynthetic organisms developed by Dr Teruo Higa. Instead of rotting your scraps in a heap, you ferment them in a sealed bin, producing a nutrient-dense pre-compost that retains far more vitamins, enzymes and microbes than hot composting.

Why bokashi beats traditional composting

  • Compost everything: meat, dairy, citrus, cooked food and onions can all go into the bin. Nothing has to go to landfill.
  • Fast results: fermentation is finished in two weeks, then a short soil burial unlocks the pre-compost.
  • No bad smells: the anaerobic process produces a mild pickled aroma rather than the stink of rotting food.
  • Higher nutrient retention: the cool fermentation locks in vitamins, enzymes and beneficial microbes that hot composting cooks off.
  • Boosts soil biology directly: every application introduces billions of beneficial microorganisms straight into your soil food web.

What's in this collection

  • Dr Higa's Bokashi Bran: EM-inoculated wheat bran in 100% compostable packaging. Sprinkle over each layer of food waste in your bin.
  • EM-1 (Effective Microorganisms): the original Dr Higa mother culture for activating bran or making your own ferments.
  • Unsulphured sugar cane molasses: the carbon food source EM and other beneficial microbes need to multiply.
  • Grow-Kashi probiotic soil conditioner: a ready-to-use top-dress for established beds and pots.

EM & bokashi: common questions

Around 10–14 days of sealed fermentation in your bin, followed by 2–4 weeks buried in soil or added to a compost heap before plants are placed near it.
Wait 2–4 weeks after burying before planting on top. The pre-compost is acidic when fresh and needs time to mellow.
Any sealed, airtight bucket with a tap for draining the leachate works. Dedicated bokashi bins make it easier but aren't essential.
Yes. Diluted 1:100 with water it's an excellent soil drench. Undiluted, it can be poured down drains as a natural cleaner.
Both are in this collection and shipped across the UK. You'll find Dr Higa's bokashi bran for fermenting kitchen waste and EM-1 effective microorganisms as the mother culture, alongside unsulphured molasses to activate it.