Deep Litter or Sand for a Coastal California Coop?
A head-to-head on deep litter vs sand bedding for backyard coops in coastal California, covering moisture, smell, cost, and compost value.
How to Protect Avocado Trees from Cold in Coastal California
Practical cold protection strategies for avocado trees in coastal California. Frost cloth, microclimate selection, thermal mass, and UC-recommended methods.
What to Plant Together (and What to Keep Apart) in Raised Beds
Companion planting guide for raised beds. Best plant pairings, what to avoid, and seasonal layouts for California raised bed gardens with UC-backed recommend...
Best Lettuce Varieties for Santa Cruz Microclimates
Find the perfect lettuce varieties for your Santa Cruz garden. Local recommendations for coastal, inland, and shaded microclimates plus year-round planting tips.
Growing Sunflowers in Santa Cruz County: Fast Color and Easy Cutting
Grow stunning sunflowers in Santa Cruz County with this complete guide. Learn best varieties, planting times, succession planting, and cutting tips.
What Is Succession Planting and How Do I Use It?
Succession planting means sowing the same crop every 2-3 weeks for ongoing harvests. It works especially well in Santa Cruz's long growing season.
Choosing the Right Garlic for Your Santa Cruz Garden
Which garlic grows best in Santa Cruz? Softneck and hardneck varieties ranked for coastal fog, San Lorenzo Valley, and Watsonville microclimates.
Growing Sungold Cherry Tomatoes in the San Lorenzo Valley
If you garden in Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, or anywhere among the SLV ridges and canyons, your success with Sungold comes down to one question: how much real sun does your spot actually get? Answer that first, and everything else follows.
Beneficial Insects: How to Attract Them to Your California Garden
Learn which beneficial insects protect your California garden and how to attract them. Ladybugs, lacewings, parasitic wasps, and more with UC-backed strategies.
Tomato Growth Stages: The Complete Plant Life Cycle
A stage-by-stage look at how a tomato plant grows in California, from seed and seedling to flowering, fruit set, and ripe harvest.
Why Is My Hen Sitting on the Nest All Day?
A hen that sits on the nest all day has likely gone broody. Learn what this means and how to handle it in your Santa Cruz County flock.
Growing Persimmons in the Santa Cruz Banana Belt
If you want a deciduous fruit tree that mostly takes care of itself, a persimmon in the Santa Cruz Banana Belt is one of the easiest, most rewarding choices in the county. The warm sunny slopes ripen the fruit sweet and glowing orange, the tree shrugs off most pests and diseases,
Why Is My Cilantro Bolting Already?
Cilantro bolts fast in warm weather. Sow new seeds every 2-3 weeks for continuous harvest, and choose slow-bolt varieties like Calypso.
Organic Pest Identification Guide for Santa Cruz Gardens
Identify and manage the most common garden pests in Santa Cruz County with organic methods. Damage identification, life cycles, and UC-backed control strateg...
The Hidden Danger of Rodent Poison: Protecting Santa Cruz Wildlife
Learn how rodenticides harm owls, foxes, and bobcats in Santa Cruz County through secondary poisoning, plus effective poison-free alternatives that actually work.
Keeping a Garden Journal: What to Track and Why It Matters
Keep simple notes on planting, weather, pests and harvests. Use your Santa Cruz garden journal to remember results and plan the next season.
How Do I Treat Peach Leaf Curl Before It Starts?
Peach leaf curl is prevented, not cured. Apply copper fungicide once during dormancy before buds swell in late winter. Timing depends on your microclimate.
Growing Cut Flowers in Partial Shade
Not every garden gets full sun. These cut flower varieties thrive in partial shade and still produce stems worth cutting for bouquets.
How to Read a Soil Test (and What to Do With the Results)
Learn how to read and interpret a soil test for your California garden. Understand pH, nutrients, and amendments with Santa Cruz-specific guidance from UC so...
Growing Southern Highbush Blueberries in the Pajaro Valley
Watsonville and Corralitos grow blueberries commercially by the acre, so the home garden version absolutely works here. The Pajaro Valley just runs warmer and richer than blueberries prefer, so your job is managing heat, moisture, and pH.