The Makkelijke Moestuin in 3 minutes

The Makkelijke Moestuin in 3 minutes

Here you'll read how, with our system, you can harvest up to 5x more than from a regular vegetable garden. On just a few square meters, all natural, pesticide-free, and with almost no work.

The full Makkelijke Moestuin guide

If you want to read everything.

Makkelijke Moestuin vs traditional vegetable garden

1. Makkelijke Moestuin vs traditional vegetable garden

Giving each plant enough light, air, water, space, nutrients, and attention is pretty tricky. Not in a Makkelijke Moestuin: there, it happens all by itself.

 About us

2. About us

Why Jelle started Makkelijke Moestuin, how it grew into a movement, and why we work differently from most companies.

 The garden bed

3. The garden bed

The garden bed is the heart of the Makkelijke Moestuin system. Its smart setup gives your plants almost everything they need from the start.

 The soil mix

4. The soil mix

In a Makkelijke Moestuin, you don't use garden soil but a special growing mix in which all your plants thrive.

 The water reservoir

5. The water reservoir

Why a smart water reservoir helps your plants grow better while saving you time and effort: how it works, and how and when to water.

6. The sowing system

In a Makkelijke Moestuin, you sow in 30 x 30 cm squares instead of rows, placing each plant in the right position with the right spacing.
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Indian cress

Product information

Sowing in:
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
More info
€2.79

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Description

Indian cress flowers brighten up your garden and attract lots of butterflies and bees. The flowers, buds, young leaves, and seeds are edible too.

Specifications

Sowing time: mid April-May
Height: about 25 cm with long tendrils
Weight: 2 grams

In the app

Sowing: 16 April - 31 May

Level 1

seeds sown

Level 2

seedling emerging

Level 3

one seedling

Level 4

small plant

Level 5

first harvest

Level 6

continuing to grow

  • Currently only shipping to the Netherlands and Belgium
  • Choose your preferred delivery date
  • Sent by PostNL or Transmission
  • Track & Trace in your inbox
  • The app helps you with almost everything you do in your vegetable garden: sowing, tending, and harvesting.
  • If something goes wrong, the app tells you what steps to take.
  • If that doesn’t work, you can ask us for advice.
  • If that still doesn’t help, we’ll look for other solutions together. Until we get it right.

Indian cress is super healthy

Indian cress is an excellent natural antibiotic. All of its parts - the seeds, leaves, and flowers - help you fight infectious diseases and inflammation. It also builds up your immunity and makes you less susceptible to colds, flu, and other illnesses.

Indian cress contains a lot of vitamin C, which inhibits bacterial, viral, and fungal growth and is good for blood circulation.
Nasturtiums are super healthy to eat
Super healthy Indian cress leaves

More about our Indian cress

Indian cress, also known as nasturtium, is one of the best companion plants for a vegetable garden. Bees and butterflies love it, and the plant draws harmful insects away from your other vegetables. The flowers, young leaves, and seeds are all edible.
  • Variety: Indian cress
  • Family: flowers
  • Plants per square: 1
  • Height: about 25 cm tall, with long trailing stems reaching up to 3 metres
  • Sowing time: mid-April and May
  • Sowing depth: 2 to 3 cm
  • Germination: 7 to 15 days at around 15°C
  • Time to flower: from 8 to 10 weeks
  • Sunlight: grows in sun or partial shade

What do you need to grow your own Indian cress?

Besides the seeds, you need:
Indian cress flowers and seeds
Indian cress flowers and seeds

How to sow and grow Indian cress

Indian cress is included in the free Makkelijke Moestuin app. Use it and you will get guidance from seed to harvest.

Every vegetable goes through several stages, which we call levels.

The app tells you exactly what to do at each level and regularly asks you to check whether your plants are ready for the next one.

So you do not need to know how to grow Indian cress successfully before you start.

But if you would like to read ahead, here is what the whole process looks like.
Nasturtium in an MM-Mini
Indian cress growing in an MM-Mini

Level 1: Sowing the Indian cress

Level 1: Sow Indian cress

Since the plant produces long tendrils, the best place to sow is either along the trellis - so you can guide it upwards - or on a side patch - so it can grow over the edge. Loosen up the moist MM-Mix and sow like this:
  1. poke 1 hole in the patch (2 - 3 cm deep)
  2. put 2 to 3 seeds in each hole
  3. carefully cover up the holes with soil mix

After about 2 weeks, you'll see something come up. It depends a bit on the weather.
Nasturtium beside the trellis of a Makkelijke Moestuin raised bed
Indian cress on the trellis

Level 2: Indian cress seedlings

Level 2: Indian cress seedlings

As soon as you see the first seedlings, you know things are going well. They probably won't all come up at once, but give it another week.

Then it's time for the next level.
Two emerging Indian cress seedlings
Two emerging Indian cress seedlings

Level 3: Thinning nasturtium seedlings

Level 3: Thin out Indian cress seedlings

When several seedlings come up in the spot you sowed, choose the best one and remove the rest: that's called thinning out. It might sound harsh, but it's necessary. The remaining plant will then have enough room to grow. 
After thinning out your plants just leave one Indian cress in the patch
Small Indian cress plant after thinning

Level 4: Caring for your Indian cress plant

Level 4: Care for your Indian cress plant

After a week or 2, your seedlings will become small plants. You hardly need to do anything: if the weather's dry, give them some water and remove the odd dead or yellow leaf. Easy 🙂 
Nasturtium growing beside a climbing courgette in the Makkelijke Moestuin
Indian cress growing next to a climbing zucchini

Level 5: Flowering Indian cress

Level 5: Flowering Indian cress

About 8 to 9 weeks after sowing, you'll see the first flowers.

The plants will be growing fast and producing long tendrils. If they get too big, just prune them back. Indian cress plants are tough.
Nasturtium flower
Indian cress flower

What do you use Indian cress for?

The edible flowers brighten up any salad.

Like the young leaves, they have a fresh and tangy flavor. So you can also toss the leaves in a salad.
Salad brightened with nasturtium flowers
Salad with Indian cress
You can make a type of caper with fresh Indian cress seed balls, salt, and vinegar.

Have a cold? Chew on a young leaf every now and then: it's good for building resistance and it helps soothe a sore throat.

The last levels

The final levels

Indian cress can be left in your vegetable garden all year round. The plant continues to bloom until it gets really cold.

It grows fast, so just check back any shoots that get too big or look ugly.

As soon as it gets really cold and starts to freeze, the plant goes limp. It's time to empty out your patch or MM-Mini and get it ready for another round.
Mature nasturtium at the end of summer
Mature Indian cress near the end of summer

So: ready to sow your own Indian cress?

It's super easy to grow, a great companion plant for your vegetables, edible, and healthy too.

Plus: with our app and materials, it's practically impossible to fail 😉

Order your Indian cress seeds here or get growing with a complete starter kit:
Complete starter kit
Enjoy!