Growing Strawberries With Kids in California: An Easy Perennial Win
Grow strawberries with kids in coastal California. Best varieties, containers vs beds, when to plant, and how to make runners into free new plants.
Can You Grow a Productive Garden in Shade?
Some leafy crops can grow in partial shade. Assess actual seasonal light, soil and water, then try a small planting suited to the site.
Santa Cruz County Flock Care Calendar: Month by Month
A month-by-month backyard flock care calendar for Santa Cruz County: chick season, molt, summer heat, winter mud, and year-round rhythms.
Put Your Flock to Work: Natural Pest Control for a Coastal Santa Cruz Garden
How chickens and ducks control slugs, snails, earwigs, and grubs in Santa Cruz gardens, with safe deployment methods and the trade-offs.
Pruning in Winter vs. Summer: When to Cut Trees
Winter pruning is the default for most fruit trees, shaping structure while they are dormant. Summer pruning controls size without triggering regrowth. Here is when to do each.
Succulent and Cactus Nurseries Worth the Drive from Santa Cruz: 8 Stops North and South
If you have caught the succulent habit, you already know the local garden center only takes you so far. The best succulent nursery in the region is about half an hour south of Santa Cruz, and the dry gardens up north are worth a day of their own.
Avocado Tree Growth Stages: From Planting to First Fruit
How an avocado tree grows in California, from planting and the juvenile years through flowering, fruit set, and long fruit development.
Growing Pumpkins With Kids in California: From Seed to Jack-o-Lantern
Grow pumpkins with kids in coastal California and hit October. When to plant, easy varieties, and how to go from seed to jack-o-lantern by Halloween.
Your June Garden Checklist for Santa Cruz County
Your complete June garden checklist for Santa Cruz County. Garlic harvest, fog belt gardening tips, powdery mildew prevention, and fall brassica seed starting for every zone.
Powdery Mildew vs. Downy Mildew Identification
Powdery mildew is white and dusty on leaf tops while downy mildew is fuzzy on leaf undersides. Here is how to identify and treat each in Santa Cruz gardens.
Cover Crops for Santa Cruz Gardens: Complete Guide to Building Better Soil
Learn how cover crops build soil, suppress weeds, and prevent erosion in Santa Cruz County gardens. Types, timing, and benefits for California home gardeners.
Organic vs. Synthetic Fertilizer for Food Gardens
Organic fertilizer builds soil biology for long-term garden health while synthetic delivers quick results. Here is why organic wins for Santa Cruz food gardens.
Growing Lettuce and Salad Greens Indoors Year-Round
How to grow lettuce and salad greens indoors year-round in California. Light, temperature, varieties, and cut-and-come-again harvesting for fresh salads.
Cedar vs. Redwood Raised Beds: Which Lasts Longer?
Redwood outlasts cedar by about 5 years in raised bed applications, and it is locally available in Santa Cruz County. Here is how to choose between the two.
Do Strawberries Like Coffee Grounds?
Compost coffee grounds before adding them to strawberry beds. Direct application can tie up nitrogen and create a water-repellent layer.
Growing Satsuma Mandarins in the Santa Cruz Banana Belt
If you garden in the warm sunny pocket above the fog, the satsuma mandarin is close to a sure thing. The Banana Belt gives this already-easy citrus the extra heat it does not even strictly need, which means earlier, sweeter, more generous fruit with very little effort on your par
Mulch vs. Ground Cover Plants: Which Controls Weeds?
Ground cover plants outperform mulch for long-term weed control but take time to establish. Here is when to use each strategy in your Santa Cruz garden.
Asparagus Growth Stages: The Perennial Life Cycle
The multi-year life of an asparagus bed, from planting crowns through fern growth, dormancy, and decades of spring spears.
Growing Herbs Indoors in California: What It Really Takes Beyond a Windowsill
A realistic guide to growing herbs indoors in California. Grow light hours, watering, and which herbs thrive versus sulk in a fog belt home.
Can You Grow Blueberries in California?
Blueberries can grow in suitable California gardens. Match cultivar chill needs, acidic well-drained soil and dependable irrigation to your site.