Garlic: <\/b><\/span>The Cancer Fighter<\/b><\/h2>\nGarlic is the top growth inhibitor of cancerous cells in the human body by far. No other vegetable or herb comes close.<\/p>\n
I like to plant my garlic in September so that it will have an opportunity to put on some growth before the Michigan winter. Root development helps to hold the garlic securely under its mulch during freezing and thawing, preventing it from being pushed out and possibly dying.<\/p>\n
In spring, foliar feeding will help to increase the size of your garlic heads, especially if the soil isn\u2019t the richest where it\u2019s planted.<\/p>\n
There are two types of garlic to choose from when picking your varieties: softneck and hardneck. <\/span><\/p>\nThough hardneck garlic tends to have slightly superior nutrition to softneck, all garlic is so nutritious that you should feel free to select your varieties based on other criteria, such as flavor and\/or heat, clove size, storability, etc. <\/span><\/p>\nNote: Elephant Garlic is not truly garlic and lacks flavor and nutritional crop benefits. <\/span><\/p>\nAsparagus: <\/b><\/span>Get Started Early<\/b><\/h2>\nAsparagus is a great way to kick-start your healthy eating in the spring. Few foods contain more antioxidants than it does. <\/span><\/p>\nIt\u2019s also a good crop to head this list as it illustrates an important trait of many foods you should grow yourself. A harvested crop is still alive and \u201cbreathing,\u201d or respiring. This means it\u2019s consuming carbon dioxide and nutrients and producing oxygen. <\/span><\/p>\nAsparagus is one of those crops that has a high respiration rate, meaning it will use up its stores of nutrients quickly after harvest. To save the nutrients in this nutritious crop, you must eat your asparagus promptly.<\/span><\/p>\nAsparagus should be harvested when 6 to 7 inches in height for best flavor and sweetness. Put it in the refrigerator as soon as you can unless you intend to use it at once. The sooner it chills down, the more tender and nutritious it will remain. <\/span><\/p>\nBeing a perennial crop, weed control is critical. Allowing weeds to get a foothold in a bed will reduce yields in both the current year and future years. Mulching is effective, and composted manure is exceptionally useful as asparagus makes great demands on nutrient resources. Varieties of this highly nutritious crop include Jersey Knight and Apollo.<\/p>\n
Did you know that you can grow purple asparagus? It has more anthocyanins (a potent antioxidant found in purple\/black\/deep red foods) than green asparagus does, though it does have less fiber. Purple Passion is a common variety.<\/p>\n
\nCheck out this recipe for boiled spring asparagus with shallot dressing.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nStrawberry: <\/b><\/span>Sweet Success<\/b><\/h2>\nStrawberries have the highest content of ellagic acid (a polyphenol and antioxidant) of any fruit. They also contain loads of vitamin C and fiber, as well as being one of the fruits with the greatest content of folic acid (vitamin B9). <\/span><\/p>\nThe perennial strawberry bed tends to have a somewhat finite life for good production of about five years. <\/span><\/p>\nDuring that time, thin plants to prevent overcrowding, which will decrease overall production. A big challenge in growing strawberries is dealing with the slugs, whose love of mulch and moisture makes them quite comfortable in the strawberry patch. <\/span><\/p>\nA commercial brand of slug control that is useful for bad infestations is Sluggo. It\u2019s a snail\/slug bait that contains iron phosphate, a naturally occurring soil mineral that causes the slugs that ingest it to stop eating. <\/span><\/p>\nRecommended varieties of strawberries (though being picked at peak ripeness is really the important factor in strawberry nutrition) are Honeoye and Earliglow.<\/span><\/p>\nBlack Raspberry: <\/b>Dark Horse<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\nThe richly flavored black raspberry is simply full of the following:<\/p>\n
\n- fiber<\/li>\n
- vitamin C<\/li>\n
- vitamin B complex (one of the highest berries in folic acid content)<\/li>\n
- polyphenols such as anthocyanins, indoles and carotenoids<\/li>\n
- many minerals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Large pickings are perfect for freezing, as they maintain their nutrition when frozen.<\/p>\n
Overfertilization of your raspberries could lead to too much vegetative growth and not enough fruiting. It may also exacerbate weed problems. Therefore, be careful that your mulch isn\u2019t too rich. Sawdust is a particularly good option.<\/p>\n
All varieties of this nutritious crop <\/span>are high in antioxidants and anticancer properties, so you can\u2019t really go wrong. Bristol and Jewel are two varieties desirable for their additional attributes (flavor, productivity, cane growth, etc.).<\/p>\n![\"black](\"https:\/\/img.hobbyfarms.com\/black_raspberry.jpg\")
Sentelia\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nParsley:<\/b><\/span> Packed Plant<\/b><\/h2>\nParsley is an herb that is difficult to beat when it comes to nutrition. Vitamin and mineral packed, parsley is very high in vitamins C and A. It has five times as much iron as spinach and contains calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iodine and other minerals to a lesser degree. <\/span><\/p>\nUnlike many leafy vegetables that contain compounds that block vitamin absorption when eaten raw (often termed \u201cantinutrients\u201d), parsley contains no such substance. <\/span><\/p>\nParsley germinates easily from seed but not necessarily quickly. This is especially true in cold ground. Starting seeds indoors is a way to assure a crop. <\/span><\/p>\nHowever, parsley is a famously unhappy transplant, having a long taproot that doesn\u2019t like interference. I make sure my parsley is given plenty of room in the transplant cells so their roots aren\u2019t bothered. <\/span><\/p>\nAny parsley variety you pick is going to be a nutritious crop. If a variety is described as having exceptionally dark leaves, grow that one.<\/span><\/p>\nKale: <\/b><\/span>Seeing Red<\/b><\/h2>\nPast advice about eating your greens needs to be modified. You should either be eating your \u201creds\u201d or your \u201cred greens.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nThough all kale is a nutritious crop, red kale is especially so. By growing it yourself, you will be able to keep its incredible nutrition (and especially what \u201csweetness\u201d it has) intact. <\/span><\/p>\nKale is simply loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants, calcium and fiber. Unlike cabbage family crops that yield a one-time harvest (cabbage and cauliflower, for example), kale will keep on producing as long as you keep on picking it, sufficient moisture and nutrition are present, and insect pests aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Redbor is a really outstanding variety.<\/p>\n
\n
Though hardneck garlic tends to have slightly superior nutrition to softneck, all garlic is so nutritious that you should feel free to select your varieties based on other criteria, such as flavor and\/or heat, clove size, storability, etc. <\/span><\/p>\n Note: Elephant Garlic is not truly garlic and lacks flavor and nutritional crop benefits. <\/span><\/p>\n Asparagus is a great way to kick-start your healthy eating in the spring. Few foods contain more antioxidants than it does. <\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s also a good crop to head this list as it illustrates an important trait of many foods you should grow yourself. A harvested crop is still alive and \u201cbreathing,\u201d or respiring. This means it\u2019s consuming carbon dioxide and nutrients and producing oxygen. <\/span><\/p>\n Asparagus is one of those crops that has a high respiration rate, meaning it will use up its stores of nutrients quickly after harvest. To save the nutrients in this nutritious crop, you must eat your asparagus promptly.<\/span><\/p>\n Asparagus should be harvested when 6 to 7 inches in height for best flavor and sweetness. Put it in the refrigerator as soon as you can unless you intend to use it at once. The sooner it chills down, the more tender and nutritious it will remain. <\/span><\/p>\n Being a perennial crop, weed control is critical. Allowing weeds to get a foothold in a bed will reduce yields in both the current year and future years. Mulching is effective, and composted manure is exceptionally useful as asparagus makes great demands on nutrient resources. Varieties of this highly nutritious crop include Jersey Knight and Apollo.<\/p>\n Did you know that you can grow purple asparagus? It has more anthocyanins (a potent antioxidant found in purple\/black\/deep red foods) than green asparagus does, though it does have less fiber. Purple Passion is a common variety.<\/p>\n Check out this recipe for boiled spring asparagus with shallot dressing.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Strawberries have the highest content of ellagic acid (a polyphenol and antioxidant) of any fruit. They also contain loads of vitamin C and fiber, as well as being one of the fruits with the greatest content of folic acid (vitamin B9). <\/span><\/p>\n The perennial strawberry bed tends to have a somewhat finite life for good production of about five years. <\/span><\/p>\n During that time, thin plants to prevent overcrowding, which will decrease overall production. A big challenge in growing strawberries is dealing with the slugs, whose love of mulch and moisture makes them quite comfortable in the strawberry patch. <\/span><\/p>\n A commercial brand of slug control that is useful for bad infestations is Sluggo. It\u2019s a snail\/slug bait that contains iron phosphate, a naturally occurring soil mineral that causes the slugs that ingest it to stop eating. <\/span><\/p>\n Recommended varieties of strawberries (though being picked at peak ripeness is really the important factor in strawberry nutrition) are Honeoye and Earliglow.<\/span><\/p>\n The richly flavored black raspberry is simply full of the following:<\/p>\n Large pickings are perfect for freezing, as they maintain their nutrition when frozen.<\/p>\n Overfertilization of your raspberries could lead to too much vegetative growth and not enough fruiting. It may also exacerbate weed problems. Therefore, be careful that your mulch isn\u2019t too rich. Sawdust is a particularly good option.<\/p>\n All varieties of this nutritious crop <\/span>are high in antioxidants and anticancer properties, so you can\u2019t really go wrong. Bristol and Jewel are two varieties desirable for their additional attributes (flavor, productivity, cane growth, etc.).<\/p>\n Parsley is an herb that is difficult to beat when it comes to nutrition. Vitamin and mineral packed, parsley is very high in vitamins C and A. It has five times as much iron as spinach and contains calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iodine and other minerals to a lesser degree. <\/span><\/p>\n Unlike many leafy vegetables that contain compounds that block vitamin absorption when eaten raw (often termed \u201cantinutrients\u201d), parsley contains no such substance. <\/span><\/p>\n Parsley germinates easily from seed but not necessarily quickly. This is especially true in cold ground. Starting seeds indoors is a way to assure a crop. <\/span><\/p>\n However, parsley is a famously unhappy transplant, having a long taproot that doesn\u2019t like interference. I make sure my parsley is given plenty of room in the transplant cells so their roots aren\u2019t bothered. <\/span><\/p>\n Any parsley variety you pick is going to be a nutritious crop. If a variety is described as having exceptionally dark leaves, grow that one.<\/span><\/p>\n Past advice about eating your greens needs to be modified. You should either be eating your \u201creds\u201d or your \u201cred greens.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Though all kale is a nutritious crop, red kale is especially so. By growing it yourself, you will be able to keep its incredible nutrition (and especially what \u201csweetness\u201d it has) intact. <\/span><\/p>\n Kale is simply loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants, calcium and fiber. Unlike cabbage family crops that yield a one-time harvest (cabbage and cauliflower, for example), kale will keep on producing as long as you keep on picking it, sufficient moisture and nutrition are present, and insect pests aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n Redbor is a really outstanding variety.<\/p>\nAsparagus: <\/b><\/span>Get Started Early<\/b><\/h2>\n
\n
\nStrawberry: <\/b><\/span>Sweet Success<\/b><\/h2>\n
Black Raspberry: <\/b>Dark Horse<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
Parsley:<\/b><\/span> Packed Plant<\/b><\/h2>\n
Kale: <\/b><\/span>Seeing Red<\/b><\/h2>\n
\n
![\"currant](\"https:\/\/img.hobbyfarms.com\/currant_tomatoes.jpg\")