Growing Southern Highbush Blueberries in the Coastal Fog Belt
Along the Santa Cruz, Capitola, and Aptos coast, the cool mild air is exactly what blueberries like. The one thing the fog does not give you is acidic soil, so this is a good blueberry climate that asks you to fix the ground first.
Growing Raspberries in Santa Cruz: What Actually Works
Everything you need to grow sweet, productive raspberries in Santa Cruz County's coastal climate, from choosing the right varieties to harvesting your first crop.
Cut Flower Garden Layout and Spacing
A well-planned cut flower garden produces more stems with less effort. Here is how to lay out beds, plan spacing, and design for continuous harvests.
Square Foot Gardening: Maximizing Space for Higher Yields
Learn square foot gardening techniques adapted for Santa Cruz County. Maximize your harvest in small spaces with planting densities, layout ideas, and local growing tips.
California Poppy: Meaning, History, and Uses Beyond the Garden
Beyond garden beauty, California poppies carry deep cultural meaning and gentle medicinal properties. Explore the history, symbolism, traditional uses, and modern applications of our state flower.
Best Carrot Varieties for Santa Cruz County Gardens
Not all carrots are created equal. Discover 12 varieties that thrive in Santa Cruz County's clay soil and varied microclimates, with specific recommendations for your garden.
Do I Really Need to Rotate My Crops in a Small Garden?
Even two or three raised beds benefit from crop rotation. Moving plant families each season reduces disease and pest buildup in your soil.
Hatchery Chicks or Rescue Hens? A Santa Cruz Guide
Hatchery chicks or rescue hens? An honest Santa Cruz County comparison of cost, time to eggs, temperament, and where to find each near you.
Growing Sungold Cherry Tomatoes in the Santa Cruz Banana Belt
If you garden in the county's warm sunny pocket, the hill belts above the fog around Soquel, Aptos, and the sunnier side of Santa Cruz, brace yourself: a single Sungold plant here can bury you in fruit. This is the easy button of Santa Cruz tomatoes.
What Predator Is Getting Into My Coop at Night?
Identify which predator is targeting your coop using the evidence they leave behind. A guide for Santa Cruz County backyard flock keepers.
Growing Cauliflower in Santa Cruz County | Coastal California Guide
How to grow cauliflower in Santa Cruz County. Varieties, blanching tips, preventing buttoning, and why our mild winters give you an edge.
Growing Low-Chill Peaches and Nectarines in the Santa Cruz Banana Belt
The Banana Belt is the best place in Santa Cruz County to try a low-chill peach, but better is not the same as easy. The warm thermal slopes above the fog give you the heat a peach craves to ripen sweet fruit, and the drier, sunnier air eases disease pressure compared with the co
Living with Wildlife: Raccoons, Squirrels & Other Garden Raiders
Practical strategies for coexisting with raccoons, squirrels, birds, rats, and other wildlife in your Santa Cruz County garden while protecting your harvest.
Your January Garden Checklist for Santa Cruz County
Your complete January garden checklist for Santa Cruz County. Bare-root planting, dormant pruning, citrus harvest, and frost protection tips for coastal and mountain gardeners.
What Can I Plant in My Garden in January in Santa Cruz?
January is a surprisingly productive month for Santa Cruz gardens. Here is what to plant, sow, and prepare while the rest of the country waits for spring.
The Complete Guide to Watering Your Garden in Santa Cruz County: A Year-Round, Data-Driven Approach
Master Santa Cruz County's unique watering rhythm with this complete year-round guide. From winter's rain-fed ease to summer's irrigation demands, learn when and how much to water in every season.
Hardware Cloth, Coop Locks, and Night Safety Guide
Complete guide to hardware cloth gauges, raccoon-proof locks, automatic coop doors, and night security for backyard flocks in Santa Cruz County.
Growing Cut Flowers from Seed in Santa Cruz County
Starting cut flowers from seed opens up hundreds of varieties and saves significant money. Here is how to do it successfully in Santa Cruz County.
Reading Seed Packets: What All Those Numbers Mean
Learn to decode seed packet information for Santa Cruz County gardens. Understand days to maturity, planting depth, spacing, and how to adapt generic instructions for our local climate.
When Should I Prune Fruit Trees in Santa Cruz?
Prune stone fruit in late January and pome fruit in February while fully dormant. Apricots are the exception: prune after summer harvest.