5 Easy Crops Kids Can Grow in Santa Cruz
Setting Kids Up for Success
The secret to getting kids excited about gardening is simple: quick wins. Nothing kills enthusiasm faster than waiting months for something to happen. The crops on this list were chosen because they're easy to grow, satisfying to harvest, and fun to eat.
In Santa Cruz County, our mild climate means we can grow most of these crops nearly year-round, giving you plenty of chances to try again if the first attempt doesn't work out.
A few tips before you start:
Give them ownership. Let kids choose which crops to grow and where to plant them.
Start small. One or two plants is plenty for young gardeners.
Check in daily. Short, regular visits beat occasional long sessions.
Celebrate everything. The first sprout, the first flower, the first harvest. Make it a big deal.
1. Sunflowers
Sunflowers might be the perfect first plant for kids. The seeds are big enough for little fingers to handle, they sprout quickly, and the results are dramatic. Watching a sunflower grow taller than you are is unforgettable.
Why kids love them:
Giant seeds are easy to plant
Visible growth almost daily once they get going
Dramatic height (some varieties reach 10 feet or more)
Flowers attract bees and birds
Seeds can be harvested and eaten (or saved for next year)
How to grow:
Plant seeds directly in the ground after last frost (or nearly any time in Santa Cruz)
Choose a sunny spot
Plant seeds 1 inch deep, 6 inches apart
Water regularly until established
Watch them grow!
Time to harvest: 70 to 100 days from seed
Varieties to try: 'Mammoth' for maximum height, 'Teddy Bear' for a shorter, fluffy option, 'Autumn Beauty' for multi-colored blooms
Kid tip: Measure the sunflower's height each week and mark it on a chart. Kids love tracking the progress.
2. Cherry Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes are the ultimate garden snack. Kids can graze right off the vine, and there's something magical about eating food you grew yourself while standing in the garden.
Why kids love them:
Bite-sized and sweet
Endless harvest once they start producing
Come in fun colors (red, yellow, orange, even purple)
Satisfying "pop" when you pick them
How to grow:
Start with transplants for faster results
Plant in a sunny spot after soil warms (April through June in Santa Cruz)
Provide a cage or stake for support
Water consistently at the base
Pinch off suckers for bushier plants (or don't, it's fine)
Time to harvest: 60 to 80 days from transplant
Varieties to try: 'Sungold' (super sweet, orange), 'Sweet 100' (classic, prolific), 'Black Cherry' (rich flavor, purple-brown)
Kid tip: Give each child their own plant to care for. Let them pick and eat as many as they want. This is not the crop to worry about sharing.
3. Snap Peas
Snap peas are fast, easy, and completely edible right off the vine. No shelling, no cooking, just crunchy sweetness. They're also one of the few vegetables many kids will eat without complaint.
Why kids love them:
Satisfying snap when picked
Sweet flavor, no cooking required
Watching the vines climb is exciting
Quick to produce
How to grow:
Plant seeds directly in the ground
Best planted in fall or early spring in Santa Cruz (they like cool weather)
Provide a simple trellis, fence, or even sticks for climbing
Water regularly but don't overdo it
Harvest when pods are plump but still bright green
Time to harvest: 60 to 70 days from seed
Varieties to try: 'Sugar Snap' (the classic), 'Super Sugar Snap' (stringless), 'Cascadia' (compact, good for containers)
Kid tip: Plant peas at the base of a teepee made from bamboo poles. Kids love having a secret garden hideout.
4. Radishes
When kids ask "is it ready yet?" every five minutes, radishes are your answer. They're one of the fastest crops you can grow, ready to pull in about a month. The magic of pulling a bright red vegetable out of the ground never gets old.
Why kids love them:
Super fast (visible sprouts in days)
Easy to see when they're ready (shoulders pop out of the soil)
Pulling them out is like finding buried treasure
Come in fun colors and shapes
How to grow:
Plant seeds directly in the ground, 1/2 inch deep
Grow in spring or fall for best results (they bolt in summer heat)
Thin to 2 inches apart once sprouted
Water consistently
Harvest when you see the top of the radish pushing out of the soil
Time to harvest: 25 to 35 days from seed
Varieties to try: 'Cherry Belle' (classic red globe), 'French Breakfast' (oblong, mild), 'Watermelon' (white outside, pink inside, great for picky eaters)
Kid tip: Plant a short row every two weeks for continuous harvests. Let kids pull them, wash them with the hose, and eat them right there.
5. Strawberries
Strawberries are a long-term investment that pays off year after year. Once established, a strawberry patch produces handfuls of berries every spring with minimal effort. For kids, a ripe strawberry still warm from the sun is garden magic.
Why kids love them:
Universally loved fruit
Low to the ground, easy to pick
Hunt-and-find aspect (spotting ripe berries under leaves)
Plants come back year after year
How to grow:
Start with transplants (bare root in winter, potted in spring)
Plant in a sunny spot or containers
Keep soil moist but not soggy
Mulch with straw to keep berries clean (and fight weeds)
Remove runners to focus energy on fruit, or let them spread
Time to harvest: 4 to 6 weeks from spring transplant, then every spring
Varieties to try: 'Seascape' (day-neutral, produces spring through fall), 'Albion' (excellent flavor), 'Chandler' (big berries, Santa Cruz favorite)
Kid tip: Let kids check for ripe berries every morning. It becomes a daily treasure hunt, and they'll eat more fruit than you ever thought possible.
Bonus: Nasturtiums
Not a vegetable, but nasturtiums deserve an honorable mention. They're nearly impossible to kill, bloom in bright oranges and yellows, and every part is edible (flowers, leaves, and seeds). They grow fast, reseed themselves, and tolerate neglect.
Why kids love them:
Big seeds are easy to handle
Grow in poor soil, no fussing required
Edible flowers in bright colors
Attract beneficial insects
How to grow:
Plant seeds directly in the ground, 1/2 inch deep
Choose a sunny to partly shady spot
Don't fertilize (they prefer lean soil)
Water occasionally
Pick flowers to encourage more blooms
Kid tip: Add nasturtium flowers to salads or use them to decorate homemade pizzas. Kids love eating flowers.
Let Them Lead
The best crop for your kid is the one they're excited about. If they want to grow pumpkins because they're obsessed with Halloween, grow pumpkins. If they only want flowers, plant flowers.
The goal isn't a productive vegetable garden. It's a kid who wants to come back outside tomorrow.
