Free Gardening Brochures & Guides

Here are some of our most popular brochures and other information in a form that is easy for you to download and/or print out.

Some of the most popular documents from the ANR catalog appear below, but do check the ANR Publications Online Catalog to see the full list of documents and brochures available from ANR. Some are free; others are available for nominal charges.

Brochures on Edible Crops

A chart which lists when to plant vegetables throughout the year: A Year of Growing Vegetables

Help with fruit trees, berries and vines in your yard: Backyard Orchard Fruit Cultivation Guide

Growing and using herbs: Use and Culture of Culinary Herbs

Soil and Water Management for the Vegetable Garden

Farmers’ markets provide a variety of fresh-cut, seasonal fruits and  vegetables, and other items directly from local Orange County farmers. All markets participate in the Certified Farmer’s Market (CFM) program and sell locally grown fruits and vegetables that are safe, nutritious and tasty, at attractive prices.

Soils, Compost and Water Management

An overview of composting basics: Compost Brochure 2018

An overview of composting with worms: Worm Brochure 2018

Information about soil and water management:
When and How to Amend Landscape Soil
Soil and Water Management for the Vegetable Garden

In addition, there are free brochures available through the Water Quality Information link.

Water-wise Gardening

100 tough, reliable plants that have been tested in the UC Davis Arboretum, are easy to grow, don’t need a lot of water, have few problems with pests or diseases:

• Arboretum All-Star Perennials
• Arboretum All-Star Shrubs and Trees

Pests in the Garden

Invasive Plant Brochure from California Invasive Plant Council. Suggestions on alternatives to common invasive plants: SoCal Invasive Plants

Information from the California Department of Agriculture about measures to keep the Oriental Fruit Fly, a major pest of many kinds of fruit, out of California.

Information about the Oriental Fruit Fly quarantine areas in southern California.

School Gardening

The Creating and Sustaining Your School Garden Training Materials are now online!

These resources are available for free to anyone working to support others in creating and sustaining school gardens. At the CSYSG Trainer Page you will find the following:

• A download of all CSYSG Workshop Handouts, Trainer Outlines (TO), and Supplementary Trainer Materials.
• PDF file of all CSYSG Workshop Handouts
• Workshop PowerPoints
• Gardens for Learning Guide Book
• Selected CSYSG Materials in Spanish
• Freebies, fliers, and handouts to promote school gardens