Fruit Tree Troubleshooting: Why Your Tree Won't Fruit and How to Fix It
Discover why your fruit tree isn't producing and how to fix it. Common causes include chill hours, pollination, pruning mistakes, and more.
Powdery Mildew on Squash: Prevention and Treatment for Santa Cruz Gardens
Powdery mildew hits nearly every squash garden eventually. These prevention strategies and organic treatments keep plants productive longer.
Mulch and Soil Health: The Hidden Irrigation System in Your Santa Cruz County Garden
Mulch and healthy soil act like hidden irrigation, keeping moisture in your garden longer between waterings. Learn how much mulch to use and how to build soil that holds water in Santa Cruz County.
Solving Common Garlic and Onion Problems in Santa Cruz County
Fix garlic and onion problems in Santa Cruz County. Solutions for small bulbs, rust, bolting, pests like gophers, and storage issues with expert local advice.
Best Strawberry Varieties for Santa Cruz County
A guide to strawberry varieties that thrive in Santa Cruz County, with recommendations matched to your specific microclimate.
Santa Cruz Community Gardens: How to Find and Join a Plot
A local guide to community gardens in Santa Cruz County, from Beach Flats to Watsonville. How to find a plot, apply, handle waitlists, and what to do while you wait.
10 Plants to Avoid in Your Garden If You Have Kids or Pets
Many beautiful garden plants are surprisingly toxic to children and pets. Before you plant (or if you're moving into a home with an established garden), know which common Santa Cruz County plants pose risks and what to grow instead.
Squash Vine Borer Prevention in Santa Cruz County
Squash vine borers can kill healthy plants seemingly overnight. These prevention strategies protect your squash crop before damage starts.
Blackberry Problems? Here's What's Wrong (and the Fix)
From orange rust (remove the whole plant!) to spotted wing drosophila, learn to identify and treat common blackberry problems. Includes organic solutions for Santa Cruz County gardeners.
Growing Eureka Lemons in the San Lorenzo Valley
If you garden in the San Lorenzo Valley, in the shaded canyons and redwood-lined creek bottoms around Felton, Ben Lomond, and Boulder Creek, a Eureka or Lisbon lemon is a marginal proposition. This is the coldest, shadiest part of the county for citrus, and a true acid lemon, whi
The Blueberry Varieties That Actually Fruit in Santa Cruz
The best blueberry varieties for California gardens. Southern Highbush picks for low-chill areas, including Sunshine Blue, Sharpblue, and Misty - with local growing notes.
5 Easy Crops Kids Can Grow in Santa Cruz
The secret to getting kids excited about gardening? Quick wins. These 5 crops are perfect for Santa Cruz County kids: sunflowers grow dramatically tall, cherry tomatoes provide endless sweet snacks, snap peas climb and crunch, radishes are ready in just a month, and strawberries turn into a daily treasure hunt. Our mild climate means you can try these nearly year-round.
Growing Bush Beans in the Pajaro Valley
If you garden in Watsonville, Corralitos, or the south-county flats and benches of the Pajaro Valley, you are in the county's warmest, earliest microclimate, and bush beans love it. Blue Lake snap beans will be among the first and most productive crops in your summer garden, on the county's famously
Why Is My Chicken Losing Feathers in Summer?
Summer feather loss in chickens is usually molting, but can signal mites, stress, or pecking. Learn how to tell the difference in Santa Cruz County.
How Much Do I Really Need to Water My Garden in Fall in Santa Cruz County?
Fall is the trickiest irrigation season in Santa Cruz County. Learn when to keep watering, when to scale back, and how to transition from summer irrigation to rain-fed gardening by late November.
How Your Flock Can Work Your Garden: Pest Control and Soil Prep
Put your chickens, ducks, and geese to work in the garden with practical strategies for pest control, composting, soil turning, and weed management.
Growing Melons in Santa Cruz County: Which Microclimates Work (And Which Do Not)
Melons need heat, which makes them challenging in coastal Santa Cruz. But in the right microclimate with the right varieties, sweet melons are absolutely possible.
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 Eureka Lemons in the Santa Cruz Coastal Fog Belt
If you garden in the foggy coastal strip and you want a real, mouth-puckering lemon rather than the milder Meyer, the Eureka lemon (and its close cousin the Lisbon) is your workhorse. It is the true acid lemon of the grocery aisle, thornier and tarter than a Meyer, and on the coo
The First 5 Vegetables to Grow in Santa Cruz County
New to vegetable gardening in Santa Cruz County? Start with these 5 forgiving, productive crops chosen specifically for our microclimates: cherry tomatoes (productive and delicious), summer squash (fast and abundant), lettuce (quick harvests year-round), essential herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley), and bush beans (nearly foolproof). Build confidence with these winners, then expand from there.