My Road Trip - Looking for gardens to visit.

I am planning a road trip across Canada and USA in June and July 2015 to visit the veggie gardens of my website gardening family. Your garden can be big or small, messy or manicured, urban or rural.

I have several gardens already on my proposed route. My initial plan is to drive south along the west coast, across south states, up eastern states and then across north states/Canada border area back to British Columbia Canada where I am starting from. I would love connect with more gardeners in southern and northern states as I do not have very many yet in these areas.

If you are interested in me coming to visit, please email me at catherine@your-vegetable-gardening-helper.com

I will be writing and adding pictures and videos along my trip. For more information check out my ROAD TRIP.

Join my facebook group at ttps://www.facebook.com/groups/veggiegardenhelper/ for more info as well.

What to do in April?

• The beginning of April is time to plant potatoes (if you did not do this in March)onions, leeks, radishes and brassicas.
• Plant your salad greens, lettuces, swiss chard later in the month.
• Start heat loving vegetables like zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, eggplants and basil indoors in propagating trays. Learn more about caring for seedlings.
• Remember to check the seed packet for instructions when planting your seeds.

Keeping a journal.

Keeping track of what, when and where you are planting your vegetables is very important for a successful vegetable garden. This helps to plan crop rotation, helps to remember which plants grew better than others, what problems or concerns you may want to address this year. Keep a journal is invaluable.

Now is the time to start mulching.

Using a good mulch in your vegetable garden is a valuable practice. If you have garlic growing, now is the time to add more mulch to the beds. Mulch can suppress weeds, keep soil moist, warm the soil at this time of year, and it adds organic matter to your garden soil. Here is a list of common materials to use for mulch.

Start weeding your garden.
Getting into a routine of weeding now, will make your life easier in the summer months. Here are my weed control tips to help you.

Start a new compost pile.

If you have compost from last season spread it on your garden beds. Now you can start a new pile by layering debris from your garden, kitchen waste, straw or hay, coffee grounds from your local coffee shop and seaweed (if you live near a beach). Keep adding to it during the spring and summer; by the fall you will have another batch of compost to add to your garden beds. Learn more about making compost.

Insects and pests may start showing up in your garden.

Cutworms and maggots are active this month. Cutworms are large 3/4 - 1 inch grayish brown fat worms. They chew young seedlings off at the base of the plant. Best prevention is to go out just before dusk and pick them off your plants. Usually affects broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage mostly.
Tips to manage pests & Insects
Slugs are also starting to move around this month. They like moist shady areas and are attracted by new plant growth. What to do about slugs?

Catherine's bio

• Vegetable Garden Plans for Square foot Gardens
  
• Vegetable Garden Plans for your Rasised Beds
  
• Vegetable Garden Plans for Row Gardening
  
• The Everything Grow Your Own Vegetables Book
  
• The Everything Root Cellaring Book
  

Get everyone growing a few of their own veggies. Forward this FREE ezine to a friend.

Happy gardening!