For the Gardener

The For the Gardener "tip sheet" series and short articles offer information on organic gardening topics. Tip sheets can be downloaded from this page.

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Vegetables, Blueberries, and Cane Berries

• Asian Greens Offer Tasty, Easy-to-Grow Source of Nutrition

  Describes a variety of Asian greens, including their history, cultural requirements, and recommended varieties (3 pages).

• Garden Beans Offer Year-Round Source of Great Flavor, Nutrition

  Offers growing information for a wide selection of garden beans, including how to put beans to use year-round in the kitchen (6 pages).

• Beets, Spinach, and Chard: Growing a Goosefoot Trio

  Information on how to grow these popular, nutritious crops, along with sources for seeds (6 pages).

• Selecting and Planting Blueberries

  Recommendations on how to select and grow blueberries in the backyard garden (1 page).

• Adding Cane Berries to the Home Garden

  Describes how to site, select, plant, and care for blackberries, raspberries, and other cane berry varieties in the home garden (3 pages).

• A Garlic Primer

  Describes a wide range of garlic varieties and offers ideas for growing this popular crop using organic techniques (6 pages). 

• For the Love of Garlic - An Interview with Pete Rasmussen

  An interview with garlic grower Pete Rasmussen, including tips on selecting and growing garlic in the home garden (3 pages).

• Mini Head Lettuces Offer Gardeners Delicious, Affordable Salad Options

  Information on different types of Mini Head Lettuces and their characteristics (2 pages).

• Lettuce Offers a Palette of Tastes, Textures, and Colors

  Describes the different classes of lettuce and cultural requirements (6 pages).

• Onions and Leeks

  Describes techniques for growing onions and leeks, with an emphasis on choosing the varieties appropriate for the day length of your region (4 pages).

• Peas for the Home Garden

  Describes organic cultivation tips for growing peas in the backyard garden. Includes varietal descriptions (6 pages).

• Peppers - From Sweet to Fiery

  Offers information on climatic requirements, propagation, fertility, and irrigation for sweet and chile peppers. Includes varietal characteristics, recommendations, and seed sources (6 pages).

• Potatoes in the Home Garden

  Describes methods for growing potatoes without synthetic chemical inputs. Includes discussions of soil fertility, pest control, seed sources and variety characteristics (6 pages).

• Salad Mixes for the Home Garden

  Describes how to grow your own salad mix, including various categories of salad greens, timing, and cultural requirements. Includes recipe ideas (2 pages).

• Easy-to-Grow Tarragon

  Tips for growing and using this sprightly herb (1 page).

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Apples, Pears, Stone Fruits, and Citrus

• Apple Trees for Every Garden

  Describes apple rootstocks, training and pruning systems that can be used by backyard gardeners to establish an orchard in a limited space. Includes information on planting, fertility and rootstock characteristics.

• Selecting, Growing, and Ripening European Pears

  Describes some favorite pear varieties and how to grow and ripen them.

• Choosing and Growing Stone Fruits

  Discusses the various types of stone fruits (peaches, apricots, etc.) and some good choices for the home garden, along with growing requirements and cultural advice.

• Citrus Offers Year-Round Options

  Describes the wide range of citrus available and how to plant and care for it.

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Fruit Tree Varietal Selection, Care, and Pruning

• Reliable Fruit Tree Varieties for Santa Cruz County

  Information on fruit trees that perform well in the Santa Cruz region.

• Scion Basics

  Defines scions (the fruit-bearing portion of the tree), their origins, and their contributions to both fruit characteristics and the tree's growth habits.

• Rootstock Basics

  Defines rootstocks and the role they play in controlling various characteristics of fruit trees. Lists the characteristics and features of different types of apple, pear, and stone fruit rootstocks.

• Selecting and Planting Bare Root Fruit Trees

  Information on how to select and plant bare root fruit trees, including sources for bare root trees.

• Tending Fruit Trees - A Template for Success

  Discusses the periods when it’s critical to have nutrients available to fruit trees, and some approaches for meeting those nutrient needs. Includes specific amendment recommendations.

• Summer Fruit Tree Pruning

  Discusses the periods when it’s critical to have nutrients available to fruit trees, and some approaches for meeting those nutrient needs. Includes specific amendment recommendations.

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Flower Selection, Growing, Harvesting, and Arranging

• Choosing, Growing, and Harvesting Cut Flowers

  Describes the benefits of growing flowers and the  techniques for selecting, planting, harvesting, and extending the vase life of cut flowers (6 pages).

• Flower Arranging 101: The Basics of Bouquet Making

  Describes the basics of putting together a cut flower bouquet (1 page).

• Growing Dahlias (Cocoxochitl) of Every Shape, Size, and Color

  Information on dahlias, including their history, cultural requirements, bulb storage and recommended varieties (4 pages).

• Growing the Easy Annual “Backdoor Bouquet”

  Information on easy-to-grow annual flower species for gardeners on California's Central Coast (2 pages).

• The Allure of Species Roses

  Information on the characteristics of species (Rugosa and Rugosa hybrid) roses, and plant sources (3 pages).

• Hops (Humulus lupulus)

  Describes how to grow, care for, and dry hops, and offers sources for purchasing rhizomes.

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Soil Fertility, Tillage, Compost, and Cover Crops

• Soil Cultivation: Fundamental Concepts & Goals

  Discusses the basic concepts associated with soil cultivation and garden bed preparation, including organic matter incorporation, nutrient release, and promoting good tilth and structure (4 pages).

• Your Soil – A Primer, with Some Strategies for Sustainable Management

  Introduces the soil’s four basic components and three major properties, discusses  how these interact, and ways that gardeners and farmers can improve their soils by learning how to become “biological growers.” (4 pages)

• Making Sowing and Potting Mixes

  Describes how to make sowing and potting mixes, as well as compost tea, for seed starting. (2 pages)

• French Intensive Gardening: A Retrospective

  Describes  the techniques associated with the French Intensive Gardening system of bed preparation and planting (4 pages).

• Making Quality Compost

  Describes the benefits, process, and criteria for making a successful compost pile (4 pages).

• Let Worms Make Your Compost: A Short Guide to Vermicomposting

  Introduces the technique of worm composting, an effective compost method that can be used to produce a nutrient-rich soil amendment in a limited space (2 pages).

• Choosing and Using Cover Crops in the Home Garden and Orchard

  Information on selecting and using cover crops, including the use of cover crops to improve soil fertility and structure for backyard fruit trees (4 pages).

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General Gardening Topics

• Controlling Small Animal Pests

  Information on how to identify pest presence and methods on how to deal with gophers and other vertebrate pests of the garden (3 pages).

• Fall Gardening Checklist

  A checklist of "to do's" for the fall garden (1 page).

• The Gardening Seasons of Santa Cruz

  Seasonal recommendations for year-round gardening in Santa Cruz (2 pages).

• Seed Sources

  Lists recommended seed companies from throughout the U.S. (2 pages).

• Seed Starting Tips

  Advice for starting seeds and caring for seedlings (3 pages).

• Snail & Slug Control

  Information on how to control snails and slugs with methods that meet organic standards (2 pages).

• Water Conservation Tips

  Offers ideas for water-conserving irrigation techniques in the home garden, including a brief overview of drip irrigation (2 pages).