Tips for using MM-Mix

Bags of Makkelijke Moestuin Mix contain 40 litres of mix.

This mix contains a lot of air, so you can’t compare a litre of mix directly with a litre of liquid. If you stand on it, you squeeze out the air and press the fibres together. That reduces the volume.

Think of chocolate sprinkles in a jar: fill the jar to the top, then give it a few firm taps on the table. Suddenly, there’s room left in the jar.

Make the mix loose and airy again

Our bags are filled while the mix is still loose and airy. The bags are then stacked on pallets, and their weight compresses the mix quite a bit. You can clearly see this from the lumps when you empty the mix into your garden box.

So when you fill your boxes, loosen and fluff up the mix again.

Break up the lumps with your hands or a small rake, then turn the mix over well.

Never press the mix down, and definitely don’t stand on it. The airier the mix, the better your plants will grow.

First make the Makkelijke Moestuin Mix loose and airy — *First make the mix loose and airy again*

Watering

Before you can sow, you first need to moisten the mix well.

When filling a new garden box

This is how I do it: I empty one or two bags into the box, loosen the mix and spray the layer with a garden hose until it’s moist. Don’t soak it through, because that makes the mix sink down.

Then I add the next bag or bags, loosen the mix and spray again. Keep going until all the bags are in the box.

Moisten the Makkelijke Moestuin Mix before sowing — *Spraying MM-Mix with a garden hose*

For a box that’s already full:

If your box is already full and the mix has dried out, water it in stages. Give it plenty of water, wait for the mix to absorb it, then water again. In between, check that the mix is moist all the way through, not just on top.

While sowing:

When you sow or plant, add a little extra water to each hole. Pour it in carefully with a small container or cup, otherwise your seeds may wash away.

The vermiculite in the old mix used to keep the water exactly where it was needed: around the seed or the plant’s roots. The extra fibres do the same job now.

Makkelijke Moestuin Mix keeps moisture where it’s needed — *The mix keeps moisture where it’s needed*

During the season:

Keep the mix moist. Your plants do better when they always have enough water. Going from dry to soaking wet and back again isn’t good for them and only causes stress 😉

The top layer dries out fairly quickly in the sun and wind. That’s fine, as long as the rest of the mix stays moist. Poke a finger into it now and then to check.

Plants from the garden centre

Plants from a garden centre are grown in potting compost or ordinary soil. You can put them in your box with that soil still around their roots.

First place the plants, pots and all, in a bucket with plenty of water. This lets the root balls soak up as much water as possible. Then carefully take the plants out of their pots.

(If the plants don’t come in pots, put them in a shallow tray with 1–2 cm of water.)

For older plants, cut the bottom centimetre off the root ball. This helps the plant make new roots quickly.

Make a hole in the mix, place the plant in it and fill the hole again. Don’t press the mix down too firmly. The airier the mix, the better your plants will settle in.

Adding plant food and topping up the mix

You can leave the mix in your box forever and never need to replace it. But you do need to add plant food regularly and top up the volume every now and then.

During the season

After completely harvesting a square, remove the plants’ roots. Knock off as much of the mix as you can.

Then get your MM plant food. Some boxes still include a cardboard scoop with measurements, but it’s easier to use our measuring scoop or a tablespoon. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons over the empty square (about 50 ml or 30 grams), then turn the mix over thoroughly, right down to the bottom.

Add Makkelijke Moestuin plant food after completely harvesting a square — *Add plant food after completely harvesting a square*

Extra plant food for hungry plants: 2 tablespoons per square

Summer vegetables such as tomatoes and courgettes use more plant food than other vegetables. They also stay in the same square for a long time.

Mix 2 extra tablespoons of plant food into the square when planting, then give them the same amount every 5 weeks. If you use the app, it will remind you automatically.

Give large summer vegetables extra Makkelijke Moestuin plant food every 6–8 weeks — *Give large summer vegetables extra MM plant food every 6–8 weeks*

Buy MM-Mix

At the start of a new season

If you used the mix in your box last year, top it up with fresh MM-Mix at the start of the season until the box is completely full again. Add some Makkelijke Moestuin plant food at the same time: 4 tablespoons per square (60 ml or 45 grams).

Add plant food to Makkelijke Moestuin Mix at the start of the season — *Add plant food at the start of a new season*

Then mix everything together thoroughly: mix the soil from the front of the box with the soil at the back, and the soil on the left with the soil on the right, and vice versa.

Now the mix is ready for the next season and you can start again.