What Happens in Composting: Trialling 3 Methods – Stage 1

A composting trial at Homeacres, comparing three different methods of making compost: with Bokashi food waste, Actiferm microbes and my usual composting method. We set up the trial with each bay having the same mown materials of polytunnel wastes, together with 1/4 woody wastes. All bins have 122kg raw material. The differences are: Bay 1 has 30L Bokashi food waste as part of the raw material. Bay 2 uses bokashi Actiferm microbes, sprayed on as I filled it. Bay 3 is compost made is in my normal way and without bokashi microbes. After 4-5 weeks we shall turn its contents, just once. Next we shall spread these composts in December, each one on a quarter of a bed which will grow lettuce next March. There will be a fourth quarter of this lettuce bed, which we shall spread with the same weight of commercial, hot-composted green waste compost. Filmed at Homeacres 13th October 2026 by Leigh Jackson. With Martyn Richards of Agriton. You can join this channel by paying a monthly fee, to support our work with helping gardeners grow better, and to receive monthly videos made only for members:    / @charlesdowding1nodig   #composting #bokashi #howtomakecompost #compostmaking #nodiggardening 00:00 Introduction to trial 01:34 Charles describes how he has found the bokashi system 01:59 The trial explained 02:51 Loss of carbon, and importance of soil fertility 03:54 Measuring loss of carbon with three Dalek bays 05:19 Collecting browns in autumn/winter 05:45 Bokashi’d food waste in Bay 1, layered with green waste 06:37 Bay 2 - using Actiferm system to add microbes 07:45 Bay 3 - standard composting method 08:01 Adding ingredients to the three bays 08:53 Measuring moisture content and pH 09:52 Length of time before putting on beds and time before planting 10:49 Fourth addition to experiment, a control 11:14 Planned measurements and comparisons