For those who have either been diagnosed with cancer or those looking to prevent cancer from occurring, a healthy diet is essential. If you have a current diagnosis it is very important to be in communication with your physician regarding any special diet that you need to be on. Some cancer-fighting plants include those that are high in vitamin E, manganese, selenium, glutathoine, phenolic acid, and other antioxidants.
This sweet, juicy, fruit is one of our favorite summer treats. Watermelons can be difficult to grow (and protect from mice and other pests) and are time-consuming, but they are extremely rewarding at the end!
Raccoons are huge corn-lovers, and they will destroy the corn in your garden in a hurry. Keeping them out of your garden is imperative to protecting your corn.
Fruit worms can be extremely aggravating to deal with. Prevention is key with these pesky critters! It is important to work to try and prevent these from ruining your fruit.
Birds can be both a pest and an ally in the garden. Birds help with pest control eating a wide variety of insects including aphids, caterpillars, mosquitos, and spiders. On the downside, they will also steal seeds and eat your tomatoes!
Squash vine borers are the larvae of a bright orange wasp-like moth that has 2 black and 2 transparent wings. It lays the eggs that are born into larvae inside the stem of the plant. The larvae feed inside the stem near the base of the plant and can kill a plant in a matter of days.
These small rodents can be challenging and can destroy a garden! Voles (Field Mice) are usually first spotted by their ~3-inch holes they make in raised beds. Once you see these, it’s time to get into action before they get out of hand.
Cutworms are the caterpillar of a brown or gray night-flying moth. The caterpillars are black, gray, or brown and are about an inch and a half long. These jerks can go through your entire garden of new seedlings extremely quickly! It’s important to watch out for them in your garden and do your best to protect again them. They look like little brown worms, and they like to spin around into circles around the plant, cutting it off at the base.
Cucumber beetles look similar to ladybugs. They can either be spotted or striped with yellow and black coloring. The adults feed on stems, foliage, and flowers. The larvae weaken the plant by feeding on the roots. They also spread bacterial wilt and squash mosaic virus.
Squash bugs are one of our biggests pests in the summer. A minor infestation can get out of hand in a hurry if you don’t stay on top of it. The adults are a dark, triangular insect with a flat back. You can find their tiny copper-colored eggs in clusters on the undersides of leaves. You want to make sure to get them under control as soon as you spot them, or else they can cause mass destruction!