Do You Need to Add Lime to California Garden Soil?
Test soil before adding lime. Use crop needs and laboratory recommendations to decide whether a California garden needs a higher pH.
Growing Meyer Lemons in the San Lorenzo Valley
Short answer first: the San Lorenzo Valley is a poor fit for citrus in the ground. Redwood shade, acidic soil, and cold-air frost pockets all work against a Meyer lemon. There is a real workaround, but it is a container on a sunny ridge, not a tree in the canyon.
Are Organic Pesticides Always Safe to Use?
Organic pesticides are not automatically safe. Some are toxic to bees, fish, and soil life. Here is what every California gardener needs to know before spraying.
Growing Potatoes in the Pajaro Valley
If you garden in Watsonville, Corralitos, or the south-county flats and benches of the Pajaro Valley, potatoes are an easy win in your deep, rich ground. This is the warmest, earliest pocket in the county on some of the best farm soil in California, and a root crop that wants loo
Do You Need a Compost Tumbler to Make Compost?
A bin, managed pile or tumbler can make compost. Choose for your space and workload, then manage ingredients, moisture and air.
Do You Need a Big Yard to Grow Your Own Food?
Grow useful herbs and vegetables in a space you can manage. Match crops, containers, light and care without assuming a fixed harvest from a small bed.
What Are the First Five Vegetables a Beginner Should Grow in Santa Cruz?
Start a Santa Cruz garden with lettuce, snap peas, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and basil, with seasonal planting advice and manageable first steps.
Potato Growth Stages: From Planting to Harvest
A stage-by-stage guide to growing potatoes in California, from sprouting seed potatoes through tuber bulking and harvest.
Do California Native Gardens Look Messy and Brown?
Plan California native gardens for seasonal change, structure and suitable plants. Summer brown can be normal rather than evidence of poor design.
Do You Have to Start Seeds Indoors for a Good Harvest?
Choose direct sowing or transplants for the crop, season and growing conditions. An indoor head start can help some plantings but is not always needed.
Succulents for Fire-Wise Landscaping | Protect Your Home Naturally
Use succulents for fire-wise landscaping in California. Learn which high-moisture plants protect your home and how to design effective succulent fire breaks.
Growing Cabbage in Santa Cruz County | Green, Red, Savoy & Napa
How to grow cabbage in Santa Cruz County. Green, red, savoy, and napa varieties, planting times, head splitting prevention, and storage tips.
Do You Need to Rotate Crops in a Home Garden?
Rotate crop families where practical, including in home gardens. Match the interval and other controls to the disease rather than dismissing short moves.
When Should I Start Tomato Seeds Indoors on the California Coast?
Mid-February is the sweet spot for starting tomato seeds indoors on the California coast. Start too early and seedlings outgrow their pots before soil is warm.
Succulent Problems in Coastal California | Rot, Pests & Fixes
Diagnose and fix common succulent problems in coastal California. Root rot, mealybugs, etiolation, sunburn, and other issues with practical solutions.
Does Mulch Really Attract Termites to Your Home?
Keep mulch from obscuring the foundation or creating wood and moisture problems. Termite prevention and fire-wise placement need separate attention.
Garlic Growth Stages: From Clove to Bulb
The garlic life cycle from fall planting through winter roots, spring leaves, scapes, and the summer harvest of a cured bulb.
Growing Zucchini in the Santa Cruz Coastal Fog Belt
If you garden along the immediate coast around Santa Cruz, Capitola, the Aptos flats, or out toward Davenport, zucchini is absolutely workable here. It just grows on the fog belt's slower clock, and powdery mildew is the foe to plan around.
How Do I Protect Free-Range Birds From Hawks?
Hawks are a real threat to free-range chickens and ducks. Practical strategies for protecting your backyard flock in Santa Cruz County.
Growing Potatoes in the Santa Cruz Coastal Fog Belt
If you garden in the immediate coastal band, the foggy strip through Santa Cruz, Capitola, the Aptos coast, and out toward Davenport, potatoes are a satisfying and forgiving crop for you. They want the cool spring weather the marine layer hands you, and they reward a little hilli