Day 12 : Mold - Friend or Foe?
- Lanie Bokashi
- Dec 8, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 11, 2020
Nakuuu! Dirty yaaaan! said my Tita Lita! Every time a small child touches the soil! dirty yaaaan! But did you know that there are some microorganisms in the soil that are actually good not only for our soul but also for our health? These microorganisms are our long lost friends.
There are five different types of soil microbes: bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, protozoa and nematodes
Is it Mould or mold?
Mould is a British English spelling of mold. It is used in all of the same contexts as mold. Mold or mould: Mold and mould are alternate spellings of the same word, which can refer to fungus .
Fungus? Eeeww! Alipunga?
We grew up either disgusted or scared of them.
All of these types of microbes have a role to play in the decomposition of biodegradable matter. Even cockroaches and rats have a role to play. As my mother said, if not for the cockroaches and rats we would have been drowning in garbage. But actually there are more silent, more resillient and more healthy creatures that can do what the cockroaches/rats do - these are the microbes - both friendly and foe.
Ok nalalayo na ako sa usapan! May mould/mold / may fungus ang Bokashi Balde ko!
If the mould /mold /fungus present in your Bokashi Balde is WHITE - its good! Because WHITE mold - indicates that anaerobic fermentation is active (its just that the mold was exposed to air for a while )
What if it is BLACK/BLUE/GREEN mold - its not entirely bad - because they still have a role its just that - they are not a good indication of anaerobic fermentation. It means they have to go to AEROBIC composting process instead. So, you have to bury them immediately or thrown them into your active open Compost PILE. For those who are beginners in COMPOSTING, I have a separate article for that.
Put it simply, the WHITE mold is good for what we intend to do - ANaerobic Fermentation-- they are the soldiers we need for this war against the basura.
Action items for the day:
Catch up on reading
Start collecting carbon rich materials for your Stage 3
Keep collecting raw veggies / fruits in your first tub and your cooked food Transfer the contents of your tubs into your balde every 2 to 3 days
Back to: Day 11 Maggots in My Balde
Next: Day 13: Fermentation and Is it Organic?
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