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Category Archives: EM – Effective Microorganisms

All things to do with ‘Effective Microorganisms’ (EM), including Bokashi composting, EM ceramics and EM-X.

EM Mud Balls and Greater Crested Newts

19 Friday Mar 2010

Posted by gardeningworks in EM - Effective Microorganisms

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bokashi, effective microorgsnisms, EM, greater crested newts, mud ball, pond cleaner

The tiny pond in my garden, not much bigger than a large dinner plate, has been erupting like a volcano for days now. Eyes keep appearing on the surface as do handfuls of Frogspawn. It seems to be manic under the surface. I can even see the activity from upstairs windows! We have seen more than 3 pairs of frogs at once so it is extremely crowded. I wonder if the water is so good because of the Mud Ball I slipped below the surface in Autumn?

EM Bokashi Mud Ball

We have Greater Crested Newts in the area, so maybe some of the peeping eyes belong to them too! Being a small pond it will warm up more quickly which is why the activity is greater than the big pool next door.

Love Your Environment!

Composting Leaves With EM

14 Sunday Feb 2010

Posted by gardeningworks in Composting, EM - Effective Microorganisms

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compost, Composting, effective micro-organisms, effectivem microorganisms, EM, leaf, leaves

Here at The Recycle Works we often get asked about composting leaves and garden shreddings with EM -Effective Micro-organisms. So while cutting the hedges last summer, I thought I would compost them with EM and put the results on the blog.

First thing to do, was to find a suitable ‘container’, similar to one of the bokashi buckets we sell, but bigger! Fortunately, the council’s green wheelie bin sees little activity here, as every thing goes into either the bokashi bucket or compost bin!

The leaves and clippings from the beech hedge went through the shredder and were then given a good spraying with activated EM (Garden Yoghurt!) and then packed into the wheelie bin and then topped off with some bokashi bran and the covered with a couple of sheets of polythene, with some bricks on top to keep most of the air out. The same principle used with the bokashi buckets.

Wheelie bin composter

Having sat around since last August, I thought it was time to have a poke about inside the wheelie bin and see what was going on inside.

The top layer didn’t look very exciting, there were some brown leaves, bran and large number of fly cocoons!

Under the covers

When I had a ‘furtle’ below the surface, things looked different – what I found was masses of lovely white mold – so obviously the fungi had been busy, regardless of the cold winter we’ve just had.

I removed an arm full or two into the wheel barrow, as I thought this would make a nice top dressing for the rhubarb, which is just starting to stir!

em leaf compost

Leaf compost in the wheel barrow

The rest has been left in the wheelie bin and covered left to carry on composting until I am ready to use it in the garden later. Hopefully, it will rot down quickly once it is dug into the soil – I think I might try some with the spuds this year! Here’s a close up of the end product!

EM leaf compost

Recycle Works Radio Goes Live!

01 Monday Dec 2008

Posted by gardeningworks in EM - Effective Microorganisms

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bokashi, bokashi composing, effective microorganisms, EM, recycle works, recycleworks radio

blog-talk-radioWe’ve done it! Our first ever internet radio broadcast has been recorded and you can listen to it here.

If you’re interested in EMs (Effective Microrganisms) then listen to Debbie interviewing our resident Bokashi expert, Simon Brockholes on exactly what are EM’s, how they can be used, bokashi composting and sources of information if you’d like to find out more about EMs.

We’ll be broadcasting regularly and if you know someone who you feel would make a great guest speaker or contributor, please do email debbie@recycleworks.co.uk. We’d love to hear from you!

Listen to the recording by clicking here

The benefits of using EM (Effective Microorganisms) when you have a house full of puppies!

17 Monday Nov 2008

Posted by gardeningworks in EM - Effective Microorganisms

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activated EM (EM-A), cleaning, cleaning without chemicals, effective microorganisms, EM, EM-1, emc probiotic cleaner, flatcoat retriever, odour control, puppies

This is a follow up to Debbie’s previous post relating to the Google Video link I sent her!

It is now 12 weeks since I was blessed (?) with the arrival of seven gorgeous Flatcoat Retriever puppies, their mum Fern has been an absolutely brilliant mother …. and it has been her first litter.

In anticipation of their arrival, I activated a full litre of EM-1, so I had 20 litres of EM to ensure that the ‘maternity wing’ would be a healthy one and to ensure the pups would get a head start!

Proud mum

Proud mum

So here we have a picture of a very proud mother checking out her gorgeous babies.

At this stage, mum was doing all the work, cleaning up all that the babies ‘produced’, but she was helped by the fact that the whelping box was sprayed on a very regular basis with EM.

Two days old!

Two day old Flatcoat puppies!

Who would think that these small, blind, deaf, defenseless creatures would turn into a pack of needle toothed, chewing monsters – whose agenda was either to rip up or chew anything in their path (when not fighting with each other) …… while at the same time making as much mess as possible!

Those of you who have experienced the arrival of a litter of puppies will know that the most essential item is a large supply of old newspapers, however, there is can be associated smell problem.  Mum will clean up after them initially, but there are limits! There is a cut off point – then you have your work cut out. It is then that the smell of puppy wee & poo can become a problem – and the disinfectants come out!

For those of you who don’t know about EM (Effective Microorganisms), the one thing that they do love is ‘muck’ and puppy muck to them is ‘manner from heaven’! Not only with they help clean it up, but will also neautralise any smells and when used at a low dilution rate, activated EM will act as a disinfectant. The combination of liberal applications of activated EM and eMc Probiotic Citrus Cleaner meant that the kitchen …… yes, my kitchen, ….. smelt clean and fresh ….. environmental health would disapprove no doubt ….. and as in this house this in no ‘her indoors’ as Arthur Daley (remember him?) would say, there were no complaints!!

Most folk would probably apply liberal applications of disinfectant and anti-bacterial sprays …. but not in this house …. it is an EM house and as such is cleaned using EM to ensure it is populated with the beneficial microbes.

Seven Little Monsters

Seven Little Monsters

The pups thrived in their EM environment and as soon as they  started to feed on solids, they had some EM bokashi bran added to their feed – they also had EM in their drinking water – just like their mum, who, regardless of all the stresses and strains of motherhood, retained a wonderful shiny coat.

The pups have grown really well and are amazingly fit and healthy, regardless of the fact that they have a penchant for all things horrible, which include the chicken’s droppings and their latest favourite – sheep poo! Marvelous!

Four of the monsters have now gone to new homes, one of which, Monty has taken up tax exile in Jersey!

Now, I intended only to keep one of the pups – and that was a wicked little girl called Moss, however things never go to plan and one her brothers – Rob, stood out from the others and so I decided to keep him too. Then there was Oscar …. he was the smallest in the litter, but a real character, who although everybody fell in love with, he wasn’t picked, so being a big softy, he staying too!

From L-R. fern, Moss, Oscar, Rob

From L-R. Fern, Moss, Oscar, Rob

So, I now have 3 very energetic pups that tend to run riot in the house and as result get very wound up – the result of which is that ‘accidents’ to tend to occur.

Fortunately, I always have a spray bottle of EM to hand and it has been a god send. My mother’s remedy for ‘puppy accidents’ was a good squirt of soda water to ensure no stains on the carpet – now we know we she should always make note of what our mothers teach us, but on this one I disagree …. because EM is BRILLIANT …. a good squirt of EM and there are No stains and NO smells.

A Happy Hound is an EM Hound!

Simon

EM – An Interesting Video To Watch!

13 Thursday Nov 2008

Posted by gardeningworks in EM - Effective Microorganisms

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

bokashi, effective microorganisms, EM

Simon came across this extremely interesting video on Google and we both think that you’ll find it interesting viewing as it really does exemplify how wonderful EM’s are for everyday uses.

I’ve already posted as to how I use the Probiotic Cleaners at home now, not only because they do such a great job but also becuase they’re better for me and the environment. My other wonderful new discovery is just how great the liquid produced from my Bokashi Composter is. I’m using it to feed all the house plants (diluted 1:100) and the onions and garlic in my raised beds and it’s incredible. The plants in the house love it!!!! When the onions and garlic pop up I’ll let you see some pictures as I know they’ll have definitley benefitted just like Simon’s sweetcorn plants did!

So watch…………and enjoy!

Debs x

What Can I Put in My Bokashi Composter?

23 Tuesday Sep 2008

Posted by gardeningworks in Composting, EM - Effective Microorganisms

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

bokashi, bokashi bran, kitchen composter, recycleworks

We often get asked by our customers exactly what can and cannot be put into their kitchen Bokashi Bins. With a Bokashi Composter you can compost food and vegetable scraps in the kitchen, without the fear of smells by using EM’s – Effective Microrganisms!

Every time you have scraps to throw, be it meat fish or vegetable, just open the lid and drop them in the Bokashi Bucket along with a ‘sprinkling’ of the Bokashi Bran and re-seal the lid.

When the bucket is full, leave for two weeks with the lid sealed and then either dig the resultant Bokashi into the garden or add to your compost heap. As the Bokashi is ‘composting’ in the Bokashi bucket, a nutrient rich liquor is produced which is collected by using the tap on the bucket every couple of days.

Dilute the liquor with water at 1:100 and use as plant feed throughout the home and garden.

However in answer to the question, basically, you can add any food waste – but not liquids or wet foods!

Apart form veg scraps, meat and fish you can also add bread, however don’t add things that have already started to go moldy. Tea bags are also fine, but let them drain off surplus liquid before adding. The liquid ‘aspect’ is very important, because if the contents of the bokashi bucket becomes too wet, the EM microbes will suffer and the contents will start to rot.

When the bucket is working properly, you will might start to see white mold growing on the contents and will have a distinctive vinegary smell. When you have left the contents to ferment for the 2 weeks when full, they will look very similar to when they went in and not like traditional compost! See below.

Bokashi Compost

Bokashi Compost

The scraps have been in this bucket for at least four months and as you can see, little has changed.  It is this fact that confuses some first time users of the bokashi system.  The contents have been preserved by the action of the lactic acid bacteria in the EM bran and at the same time they are being fermented by the other EMs. In other words, bokashi compost is completely different to traditional compost – it hasn’t heated up like a compost bin and so therefore no ‘energy’ has been lost to the atmosphere, meaning that it will all end up in the soil to be used by both the soil microbes and your plants.

When you dig it into the garden, it will disappear V rapidly, but do note, that as it is acidic, leave it for a few weeks before planting on top. You can also add it to a traditional compost bin, to boost it’s efficiency.

Hope that helps and a huge thank you to Simon for answering that very frequently asked question!

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