Is the bokashi process helped or hindered if extra nitrogen in included. I read on this site and other sites that 30 carbon to 1 nitrogen is a good target. I see info on what happens if insufficient nitrogen is available. But, I don’t read anywhere what is the result of extra nitrogen being included. So, for example, what if the ratio was 15 carbon to 1 nitrogen? Would that speed up the process or slow it down or have no noticeable effect? I am specifically interested in decomposing sawdust used as bedding material for sheep.
By volume we suggest 1 or 2 parts C/ 1 N
Urine soaked bedding might be fine on it’s own
i suggest a performance test
Sheep bedding bokashi vs.
1 part bedding to 1 part manure (sheep?)
2 parts bedding to 1 part manure
Our deep litter hog bedding is inoculated with EM and we only remove the manure, the bedding is 20 years old but we top up with sawdust and biochar as needed. beddings get better as they age if you stock appropriately.
Our sheep are housed with our goats on slotted flooring, we collect the manure below and add it to open topped bokashi bins, one is full and fermenting while the other side is refilling daily layers of hog/sheep/goat manure. Open top because our layer chicken clean the manure from fly larva!
[Bokashi chapter…] (A Natural Farming System For Sustainable Agriculture In the Tropics | ECHOcommunity.org)
The 4 element of compost are C,N, Air and Water. The better they are in balance the faster the compost will form because the bacterial activity will consume the Carbon at an optimum rate. Nitrogen is fuel for the bacteria to consume the carbon. I suppose adding a little extra N cannot hurt but 30:1 is optimal. Nitrogen rich material tends to be more wet (Urine, Fish blood and guts etc) so factor in the ratios with the added humidity in mind. A larger size compost pile will heat up better but it also should be turned during the process.