Your Garden Toolkit
Everything you need to plan, plant, and troubleshoot your Santa Cruz County garden - all in one place. These printable guides are designed specifically for our local growing conditions, from coastal fog to sunny inland valleys. Download what you need and keep them handy in your garden shed, potting bench, or kitchen.
Know Your Microclimate Worksheet
A fill-in worksheet to help you observe and record the unique conditions in your specific garden - sunlight, fog, frost, soil, and wildlife. Essential for choosing the right plants.
Beginner Garden Setup Checklist
New to vegetable gardening? This checklist walks you through the essentials before you plant: understanding your space, assessing soil, choosing a setup, and gathering supplies.
Fire-Wise Gardening Guide
Grow food safely in fire country. Covers defensible space zones, fire-resistant plants, garden design, maintenance tasks, and a sample layout for Santa Cruz properties.
Companion Planting Guide
What to plant together and what to keep apart. Covers vegetable companions, herb companions, and flower companions.
Seasonal Planting Calendar
A month-by-month guide to what to plant, what to prepare, what to observe, and what to skip in Santa Cruz County. Covers timing for all major crops with microclimate adjustments.
Seed Starting Guide
Everything beginners need to grow strong seedlings indoors: supplies, timing, step-by-step instructions, and troubleshooting common problems.
Vegetables by Season Chart
A quick-reference chart showing which vegetables to grow in spring, summer, fall, and winter. Perfect for planning your planting schedule at a glance.
Gopher Control Guide
The honest truth about what actually works for managing gophers in Santa Cruz County. Covers exclusion, trapping, encouraging predators, and what to skip.
Tomato Variety Selector
Find the best tomatoes for your Santa Cruz microclimate. Includes variety recommendations for coastal, inland areas, and cherry tomatoes that succeed almost anywhere.
Water-Wise Gardening Guide
Practical strategies for growing more food with less water. Covers soil building, mulching, efficient irrigation, planting timing, and drought-tolerant crops.
Seasonal Garden Tasks Checklist
Stay on track with seasonal to-dos organized by winter, spring, summer, and fall. Check off tasks as you go to keep your garden productive year-round.
Garden Troubleshooting Guide
Quick fixes for common problems. Covers tomato issues, leaf problems, plant growth troubles, and a pest quick-reference chart.