The Question Everyone Asks

If you live in the hills of Santa Cruz County—Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Bonny Doon, Aptos highlands, or any of the areas touched by the CZU Lightning Complex fires—you've probably wondered: Can I still have a vegetable garden and be fire-safe?

The answer is yes. With thoughtful design and placement, a vegetable garden can actually be part of your defensible space strategy, not a liability. In some ways, a well-maintained vegetable garden is safer than many ornamental landscapes.

But it requires planning. Here's how to grow food safely in fire country.

Why Vegetable Gardens Can Be Fire-Wise

Vegetable gardens have several characteristics that work in your favor:

High moisture content: Actively growing vegetables are full of water. Tomatoes, squash, lettuce, peppers—these plants are 80 to 95 percent water. They don't ignite easily, and they don't burn intensely.

Low fuel load: Unlike dense shrubs that accumulate dead material over years, vegetable gardens are cleared and replanted seasonally. There's no buildup of dead wood, dry leaves, or dense thatch.

Regular maintenance: Vegetable gardens require constant attention: watering, weeding, harvesting, replanting. This ongoing maintenance means problems don't accumulate. You're already doing the work fire-wise landscaping requires.

Irrigated space: Most vegetable gardens are regularly watered. That irrigation creates a zone of higher moisture that's less likely to carry fire.

Open structure: Vegetable gardens typically have good airflow between plants. They don't create the dense, continuous fuel that fire needs to spread rapidly.

Where to Place Your Vegetable Garden

Location matters for both productivity and fire safety.

Zone 1 is ideal: The area 5 to 30 feet from your home is perfect for vegetable gardens. Close enough to access easily, far enough to not threaten the house.

Benefits of Zone 1 placement:

Garden is within defensible space
Irrigation benefits the larger landscape
Clear sightlines for monitoring
Not in the critical Zone 0 ember-resistant area

Zone 0 considerations: The first 5 feet around your home should be hardscape or very low, sparse plantings. A vegetable garden here isn't ideal, but if space is limited:

Keep plants low-growing (no tall trellised crops against the house)
Maintain bare ground or gravel paths between beds and walls
Ensure nothing touches or overhangs the structure
Keep the area meticulously maintained

Avoid these locations:

Directly under overhanging eaves
Against wooden fences connected to the house
Under or near trees with low branches
At the bottom of slopes where fire travels fast
In areas you can't easily water during an emergency

Designing a Fire-Wise Vegetable Garden

Thoughtful design makes your garden both productive and safe.

Use raised beds: Raised beds are excellent for fire-wise gardens:

Defined edges create clear fuel breaks
Easier to maintain and keep tidy
Can be separated by gravel or stone pathways
Better drainage and soil control

Create hardscape breaks: Incorporate non-combustible materials throughout:

Gravel or stone pathways between beds
Paver or flagstone work areas
Metal or stone edging
Concrete, brick, or stone borders

Maintain spacing: Don't pack beds too tightly together:

Leave 3 to 4 feet between raised beds
Use pathways to create fuel breaks
Avoid continuous plantings that could carry fire

Irrigation planning: Your irrigation system is a fire-safety asset:

Drip irrigation keeps plants hydrated and soil moist
Consider hose bibs or quick-connects for emergency watering
Maintain your system so it works when you need it
A well-watered garden is a fire-resistant garden

What to Grow

Some crops are better choices than others in fire-prone areas.

Best choices (high moisture, low risk):

Leafy greens:

Lettuce, spinach, chard, kale
Very high water content
Low-growing, minimal fuel

Fruiting vegetables:

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant
High moisture content in fruits and foliage
Remove dead lower leaves regularly

Squash family:

Zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers
Large, moist leaves
Sprawling habit stays low

Root vegetables:

Carrots, beets, radishes, potatoes
Mostly underground, minimal above-ground fuel

Brassicas:

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage
Dense, moist heads
Low to moderate height

Use with care:

Dried crops:

Dry beans, grains, seed crops
These become fuel as they dry for harvest
Harvest promptly, don't leave dry plants standing

Tall trellised crops:

Pole beans, indeterminate tomatoes, tall peas
Can create vertical fuel ladders
Keep away from structures
Remove dead material promptly

Perennial herbs:

Rosemary, sage, oregano
Contain oils that can burn intensely
Place in Zone 2 or beyond, not against structures
Keep pruned and free of dead material

Avoid near structures:

Dried ornamental plants:

Ornamental grasses, dried flower arrangements
Don't incorporate these into vegetable garden borders near the house

Maintenance for Fire Safety

Your regular garden maintenance IS fire-wise maintenance.

Keep it tidy:

Remove dead plants promptly after harvest
Don't let finished crops dry in place
Clear fallen leaves and debris
Pull weeds before they dry out

Manage plant debris:

Compost green material away from structures
Chip or remove woody debris
Don't stockpile dry plant material

Maintain irrigation:

Fix leaks promptly
Ensure even coverage
Water consistently during fire season
A stressed, dry garden is more flammable

Seasonal cleanup:

Clear spent summer crops before fire season peaks
Don't leave dry bean plants or corn stalks standing
Transition to fall crops or cover crops

Structures and Support Systems

Garden infrastructure needs fire-wise thinking too.

Trellises and supports:

Metal supports are safer than wooden stakes
Keep wooden trellises away from structures
Don't let trellised plants create fuel ladders to roofs or trees

Raised bed materials:

Metal raised beds are non-combustible
Cedar and redwood resist fire better than other woods
Composite materials vary—check fire ratings
Stone or concrete beds are safest

Garden sheds and storage:

Keep storage structures in Zone 1 or beyond
Clear vegetation around sheds
Store flammable materials (gasoline, fertilizers) safely
Metal sheds are safer than wooden ones

Fencing:

Garden fencing can carry fire
Metal fencing is safer than wood
If using wood, don't connect directly to the house
Keep vegetation cleared from fence lines

Mulch Considerations

Mulch is valuable for vegetable gardens but requires fire-aware choices.

Safer mulch options:

Compost (low flammability)
Well-aged wood chips (less flammable than fresh)
Straw in moderate layers (avoid deep accumulation)
Gravel or stone mulch in pathways

More flammable options:

Fresh bark mulch
Gorilla hair (shredded bark)
Pine needles
Deep layers of any organic mulch

Mulch placement:

Keep organic mulch away from structures
Use gravel or stone mulch within 5 feet of the house
Don't let mulch pile against wooden bed frames or fencing
Maintain a gap between mulch and any wooden elements

Emergency Preparedness

Your garden can be part of your fire emergency plan.

Pre-evacuation checklist:

Know your garden's irrigation shutoffs
Have a hose that reaches all garden areas
Keep garden paths clear for access
Remove any accumulated dry material before fire season

If you have time before evacuating:

Run irrigation systems to soak the garden area
Move container plants away from structures
Clear any dry material near the house
Close any gaps in ember protection

Don't stay to protect your garden: Your life is more important than any garden. Evacuate when told to do so. A well-designed garden has the best chance of surviving without you there.

Container Gardening in Fire Zones

Containers offer flexibility for fire-prone properties.

Advantages:

Can be moved away from structures during high-risk periods
Cluster in safest locations
Easy to relocate if fire threatens
Don't require permanent placement decisions

Container considerations:

Use non-combustible containers (ceramic, metal, concrete) when possible
Avoid placing containers directly against wooden structures
Keep the area under and around containers clear
Group containers on hardscape, not mulched areas

Emergency mobility:

Know which containers you can quickly move
Have a plan for relocating high-value plants
Don't stack containers near exit routes

The Bigger Picture

A fire-wise vegetable garden is part of a whole-property approach to defensible space. It's not separate from your fire safety planning—it's integrated into it.

When designed well, your vegetable garden becomes an asset:

An irrigated, maintained zone within your defensible space
A break in potential fuel continuity
A demonstration that fire safety and food production coexist
A source of fresh food regardless of what fire season brings

You don't have to choose between growing food and protecting your home. With thoughtful design and consistent maintenance, you can do both.

Related guides:

Vegetable Gardens in Fire Zones: Growing Food Safely in Fire Country