How Do I Know If My Chicken Has Worms?
Signs of worms in backyard chickens and what to do about them. Fecal testing, treatment options, and prevention tips for Santa Cruz County flocks.
Beyond Onions: Growing Shallots and Leeks in Santa Cruz
How to grow shallots and leeks in Santa Cruz County. Fall planting for shallots, seed starting for leeks, plus variety recommendations and harvest tips.
Best Tomatoes by Microclimate: What to Grow Where in Santa Cruz County
Find the right tomato varieties for your Santa Cruz garden. Recommendations for coastal fog, redwood shade, San Lorenzo Valley, and warm inland areas like Watsonville.
Starting Peppers from Seed in Santa Cruz County: Access Better Varieties
Starting peppers from seed gives you access to the varieties that actually thrive in Santa Cruz County's cool climate, not just the standard bells that struggle in fog. The process requires patience and a heat mat, but rewards you with stronger plants and far better variety selection than nursery transplants offer.
How to Overwinter Carrots in Santa Cruz County: Your Guide to Sweet, Year-Round Harvests
Learn to overwinter carrots in Santa Cruz County for sweeter, year-round harvests. Planting times, best varieties, and winter protection tips for local gardeners.
Deer-Resistant Vegetable Gardening in Santa Cruz County
Protect your Santa Cruz County vegetable garden from deer. Practical guide to effective fencing options, deer-resistant vegetables, deterrent strategies, and garden design tips.
Growing Arugula and Mustard Greens in Santa Cruz
Arugula and mustard greens are fast-growing, flavorful, and perfectly suited to Santa Cruz County's mild climate. Most varieties go from seed to salad in under a month.
Are Microgreens Actually More Nutritious? What the Research Says
Science-backed analysis of microgreen nutrition. Real research on vitamin and nutrient density from USDA and university studies, variety by variety.
Why Is My Chicken Sneezing?
Common causes of sneezing in backyard chickens and when to worry. Dust, ammonia, and respiratory infections explained for Santa Cruz County flocks.
10 Fire-Resistant Plants for Santa Cruz Gardens
Choosing fire-resistant plants is one of the most impactful steps you can take toward a safer landscape. These 10 plants are high in moisture, low in flammable oils, and less likely to ignite or spread fire. Most are also drought-tolerant and native or well-adapted to Santa Cruz County conditions: toyon, rockrose, California fuchsia, yarrow, lavender, stonecrop, coyote brush, coast live oak, sage, and ice plant.
Growing Brussels Sprouts in the Santa Cruz Banana Belt
If you garden in the county's warm Banana Belt, the sunnier hill pockets above the fog around Soquel, Aptos, and the warmer side of Santa Cruz, Brussels sprouts are a good crop for you with one firm rule: time them to finish in cool weather. Get the timing right and the belt grow
How to Prune and Trellis Blackberries: A Step-by-Step Guide
Proper pruning and trellising transforms blackberry patches from tangled messes into productive, easy-to-harvest plants. Learn the techniques that work for erect, semi-erect, and trailing varieties.
Summer Garden Survival Guide for Coastal California
How to keep your coastal California garden thriving through fog, uneven heat, and drought. Watering, mulching, pest control, and harvest tips for Santa Cruz ...
Common Health Issues in Backyard Chickens, Ducks, and Geese
Identify and treat common health issues in backyard chickens, ducks, and geese in Santa Cruz County, from respiratory problems to parasites and bumblefoot.
8 Blackberry Varieties Proven in Santa Cruz County Gardens
From thornless Triple Crown to ultra-sweet Ponca, find the perfect blackberry varieties for your Santa Cruz garden. Includes flavor profiles, harvest windows, and growing tips.
The Santa Cruz Banana Belt: Gardening in the County's Most Balanced Microclimate
If you live between Capitola and Aptos, especially in the hills just inland, you've found Santa Cruz County's best-kept gardening secret: the Banana Belt. This narrow zone combines mild winters with minimal frost, warm (but not extreme) summers, and good sunshine without daily marine layer. Your citrus survives, your tomatoes ripen reliably, and you garden year-round with minimal frost worry. This guide covers what thrives here, growing strategies, and how to identify if you're in this favored zone.
Growing Broccoli in the Pajaro Valley
If you garden in Watsonville, Corralitos, or the south-county flats and benches of the Pajaro Valley, broccoli is a natural fit for your deep, rich ground. This is brassica country in the working farms all around you, and a home gardener can grow excellent heads here by leaning i
Grafting Fruit Trees in Santa Cruz County: Add Varieties, Save Trees, and Grow Your Own
Grafting lets you add new varieties to existing trees, rescue declining trees, and create custom multi-fruit trees. Here is how to do it in Santa Cruz County.
Growing Strawberries: In the Ground vs. Raised Beds vs. Containers
Strawberries grow in almost any setup: directly in the ground, in raised beds, or in containers on a patio. Each method has tradeoffs around drainage, maintenance, production, and cost. This guide compares all three approaches to help Santa Cruz County gardeners choose the best option for their space, soil, and goals.
5 Gopher Control Methods That Actually Work in Santa Cruz County
Gophers destroy gardens fast. These five control methods actually work in Santa Cruz County, ranked from most to least effective.