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Growing Jalapenos in the Pajaro Valley
If you garden in Watsonville, Corralitos, or south county, you have the best jalapeno climate in Santa Cruz County. The fog burns off early, the days run genuinely hot, and the rich valley soil grows big, productive pepper plants.
Growing Jalapenos in the Banana Belt
If you garden in the warm sunny pocket above the fog, the hill belts of Santa Cruz, Soquel, and Aptos that the marine layer clears early, jalapenos are genuinely at home. This is one of the better all-round growing zones in the county for a long, productive pepper season.
Growing Jalapenos in the Coastal Fog Belt
If you garden in the fog belt along Santa Cruz, Capitola, Aptos, or out toward Davenport, jalapenos are a stretch, not a sure thing. You can grow them, but you have to chase every degree of heat the marine layer keeps stealing back.