or humans, brimming with antioxidants, vitamins, nutrients and amino-acids that has a healing and protective effect on your skin and entire system, bokashi tea, a by-product of the Bokashi Bran system, is a similar organic liquid gold for plants and gardens.
As you may already have realised, whether you are a novice or an advanced gardener, taking good care of your plants is a labour of love. Giving them water, eradicating pests and composting is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this wonderful hobby because not all plants are created equal, especially when it comes to feeding them.
What is Bokashi Tea?
Bokashi tea, also known as leachate or juice, simply put, is the liquid that can be tapped from your bokashi kitchen digester bucket during the fermentation process in bokashi composting, which you can read more about on our blog page. This environmentally friendly ‘green’ tea contains a mixture of bokashi microbes, nutritional liquids derived from food waste as well as the liquids produced during the bokashi fermentation process. It is the ultimate gold standard in organic liquid fertiliser. When your bucket of bokashi-treated food waste is full, it must be left for 2 weeks, out of direct sunlight, to complete the fermentation process. During this time, the liquid from your food waste seeps through the straining tray and collect in the bottom of the bucket. Shake the bucket around to hear the liquid “sloshing” around. Open the tap and balance the bokashi bucket on top of another bucket to empty the liquid. You should get a cup of bokashi tea; sometimes more depending on how high the water content of your food is that has gone into your bucket. Lettuce, tomato, pineapple, watermelon etc. will have a much higher water content than rice or bread.
3 Ways to Use Your Bokashi Tea for Gardening
Bokashi tea should be used as soon as possible after tapping it from your digester bucket so that your plants get the full benefit of the beneficial bacteria and goodness in it. Leaving the tea unused could also result in it turning bad which produces a pretty offensive smell.
Be warned that bokashi tea is rather acidic and it is thus very important that you dilute it before use. The recommended dilution ratios are 1:1000 for foliar spray and 1:300 for lawns, garden beds and as a soil additive. It’s advisable to test the dilution rate on sensitive plants and adjust as necessary. To be safe, it is generally better to apply your bokashi tea solution to the soil rather than the foliage as some plants may be susceptible to being ‘burned’ by the high acidity level. Using a mix nozzle also makes it easy to ensure that your bokashi tea is well diluted.
Ways to use Bokashi Tea #1: Fertiliser for Plants
This nutrient-rich fertiliser can safely be used on indoor and outdoor plants, lawns, vegetable gardens and flowers. It is especially useful to use in areas of your garden where it would be difficult to add bokashi compost, such as on the lawn or in heavily planted areas. Getting the precious microbes in the bokashi tea down to the root level of plants produces amazing results in growth, health and vitality.
Now Read Composting: Nature’s Black Gold
Ways to use Bokashi Tea #2: Compost Enhancer
Over and above adding your bokashi tea directly to your plants and lawn, you can also use it as a compost enhancer by pouring it directly onto your compost pile. The microbes and beneficial bacteria will help to speed up the composting process of your garden waste. The tea also adds moisture to your compost pile, if required.
Ways to use Bokashi Tea #3: Weed Killer
Undiluted Bokashi tea is also a rather effective weed killer. Simply pour it directly on to weeds where it acts as a natural herbicide that won’t have any negative effects on you or the environment.
If you are not able to use your bokashi tea straight away, don’t worry! You can simply pour it down the drain, into the toilet or your septic tank, where it will do more good work.
Learn how to Transform your Kitchen Waste into Something Useful
Find out how you can start using the Bokashi Bran system in your home kitchen and turn your everyday food waste into a nutrient-rich organic fertiliser that your garden will love. Visit our online shop to order or contact us for additional enquiries.
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