Onderhoud
Seasonal
Getting ready for the new season
How do you prepare last year's raised beds for a new season? Easy: clear out the old growth and replenish the Makkelijke Moestuin Mix.
Use some fresh Makkelijke Moestuin Mix and our special supplementary plant food:
Is refreshing last year's raised beds a lot of work?
Not at all. You will be finished in no time.
You never need to replace Makkelijke Moestuin Mix. Simply leave it in your raised bed, refresh it, and top up its nutrients.
Come on, I will show you:
You never need to replace Makkelijke Moestuin Mix. Simply leave it in your raised bed, refresh it, and top up its nutrients.
Come on, I will show you:
Start with a quick clean up
First, remove the grid and collect all the plant labels. Toss the labels into soapy water and wipe off the grid with a sponge.
Sometimes there are still harvestable carrots or beetroot in the mix. Pull them out and take them to the kitchen.
Then remove all the old plants from the mix and put them on your compost heap. Leave small roots in place and remove the large ones.
Then remove all the old plants from the mix and put them on your compost heap. Leave small roots in place and remove the large ones.
Carefully lift any perennial or biennial plants you want to keep from the raised bed with a generous clump of mix around their roots. Put them aside until the raised bed is ready again.
Refresh your soil mix
When your boxes are completely cleaned up, top them off with some MM-Mix so they're full again.
Sprinkle in Makkelijke Moestuin plant food: 60 ml, or 30 g, per square. That is 4 heaped tablespoons if you prefer to measure it that way.
For a raised bed with 16 squares, you need three-quarters of a packet.
For a raised bed with 16 squares, you need three-quarters of a packet.
Then mix everything thoroughly: move the mix from the front of the raised bed to the back, from left to right, and vice versa.
This thoroughly mixes all the material in the raised bed, so you do not need to practise crop rotation.
Turning the mix also distributes the plant food and makes the mix light and airy again. I use a large shovel because we have a ridiculous number of raised beds, but a hand trowel works too.
Then put the clean grid back on top and the raised bed is ready to use again.
Turning the mix also distributes the plant food and makes the mix light and airy again. I use a large shovel because we have a ridiculous number of raised beds, but a hand trowel works too.
Then put the clean grid back on top and the raised bed is ready to use again.
Use the same approach for MM-Minis and Airbeds
Remove the debris, add plant food and, if necessary, some fresh mix, then turn the mix thoroughly.
If you have a wheelbarrow or a large tub, you can empty the mix from the MM-Minis into it first and work on it there. I find that convenient, and it also lets me clean the MM-Minis straight away if needed.
If you have a wheelbarrow or a large tub, you can empty the mix from the MM-Minis into it first and work on it there. I find that convenient, and it also lets me clean the MM-Minis straight away if needed.
Because the material used for MM-Minis and Airbeds allows water and air to pass through, stains will develop. This is unavoidable: they contain damp MM-Mix and stand outdoors.
Green deposits are caused by algae, especially in cold, wet weather and by water that has been standing in a rain barrel for some time.
Fortunately, the material is easy to clean:
During the season, remove dirty marks with a sponge and some gall soap.
Fortunately, the material is easy to clean:
During the season, remove dirty marks with a sponge and some gall soap.
At the end of the season, move harvested MM-Minis to a dry place, such as a shed, to limit heavy algae growth.
At the start of a new season, dirty MM-Minis can be washed thoroughly.
At the start of a new season, dirty MM-Minis can be washed thoroughly.
Soak them for a few hours in warm water with mild soap and some gall soap. For algae stains, add a generous splash of vinegar, which algae cannot tolerate. Rinse the MM-Minis thoroughly afterwards.
If they are still dirty, they can even go in the washing machine on a cold cycle or at no more than 30°C.
Refreshing the soil mix for perennials
In raised beds with perennial plants, such as strawberries, herbs, flowers, raspberries, and blueberries, start by clearing away the debris around the plants. Pull out weeds and cut away old leaves and dead branches.
Once the raised bed is tidy, add enough fresh mix to fill it again, working it around the plants.
Mix in some extra MM plant food too: about 60 ml, or 4 tablespoons, per square.
Once the raised bed is tidy, add enough fresh mix to fill it again, working it around the plants.
Mix in some extra MM plant food too: about 60 ml, or 4 tablespoons, per square.
That's it
Not too bad, is it? You really will be finished quickly. I estimate about half an hour per raised bed. Unfortunately, we have a ridiculous number of raised beds. Sigh.
Good luck!
PS: Do you make your own compost?
PS: Do you make your own compost?
You can use it to partly replenish the mix, for example with half mix and half compost. Add plant food as well, because most compost contains little or none.
You can use it to partly replenish the mix, for example with half mix and half compost. Add plant food as well, because most compost contains little or none.