Gardening Guidelines

Gardeners must employ the organic gardening practices accepted by major organic certification agencies, such as the Organic Crop Improvement Association, in all gardens. Any gardener not adhering to organic gardening practices will have their plot revoked and will forfeit their right to garden with Project Grow in the future.

Guidelines for permissible gardening practices are given below. If you have specific questions, please contact your site coordinator or, if you are in need of further assistance, call the Project Grow office at 996-3169.

Weed Control: Gardeners are expected to control weed growth in their plot. Herbicides of any kind are prohibited as they are hazardous to human health, may kill or damage desirable crops, drift into neighboring gardens, or persist in the soil. Hoeing, mulching, and hand weeding are recommended. We provide an opportunity for hay delivery at the beginning of each season. You will be contacted by your site coordinator asking if you'd like to place an order.

Insect Control:  Synthetic insecticides are prohibited. Preferred control methods are crop rotation, hand picking of insect pests, introduction of predator species such as ladybugs or lacewings, companion planting, soil solarization, row cover and biological controls like Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium that controls cabbage worms. As a last resort, natural botanical pesticides such as rotenone and pyrethrum (that break down quickly and do not leave harmful residues in the soil) may be used.

Disease Control: Most problems can be controlled if you maintain a clean garden and a healthy soil, choose disease-resistant plant varieties, water judiciously, and remove diseased plants from the garden.

Fertilizers and Soil Amendments: Inorganic fertilizers (i.e.5-1-5, Miracle Grow, etc.) are prohibited. Products of plant or animal origin, like compost, leaf mold, livestock manure, blood and bone meal, cover crops, fish emulsion, kelp meal, liquid seaweed, and commercial organic fertilizer blends are acceptable. Natural mineral fertilizers, such as greensand, granite dust, and ground limestone, are acceptable as well. Gardeners are strongly urged to add as much organic material (i.e. compost, leaf mold, and manure) as possible to their plots to maintain soil fertility.

Composting: While we strongly encourage composting, it can only be done in designated areas. Please check your site's addendum to this handbook for the composting policy and/or on-site composting location there.

Non-Acceptable Plants: Project Grow cannot allow plants with the following characteristics to be grown in any of the gardens: invasive species, i.e. mint, comfrey, Jerusalem artichoke, etc.; trees, bushes, or other woody perennials; as well as  illegal or dangerous plants

 The Garden's Site Coordinator: Your site coordinator is responsible for answering your gardening questions as well as scheduling and informing you of work parties, plow dates, closing day and its requirements, etc. Please let them know the best way to contact you, particularly if your contact information changes.

The “Community” in Community Garden: The definition of the word community is 'a unified body of individuals'. Other ideas used to describe a community are 'common interest', 'interaction', 'joint ownership' and 'social activity'. As a member of Project Grow Community Gardens you are expected to actively participate in your garden site's community by getting to know your neighboring gardeners, being considerate of those neighbors by keeping weeds down in your plot, helping others with their garden if they are in need and asking for help when you need it.  Being a responsible member of the community also means attending work parties to maintain common areas. In a community garden, when one person does not do his or her part, others inevitably must bear the extra work-load.

Tools and Equipment: Many sites supply a few gardening tools, while some do not, due to a lack of storage. Our tools are marked with a red handle and the name of Project Grow. Please notify your site coordinator or the Project Grow office when tools break.

We supply hoses at every site. Please do not discard hoses unless the site coordinator has deemed them irreparable. They are expensive and a leak or damaged connection can be easily repaired.

Gardeners are expected to use Project Grow equipment and hoses with care and to return them to their proper location when they have finished using them.

Water: The cost of water is included in your plot fee and is furnished at every garden site. Watering of garden plots should never be unattended; hose timers are prohibited. Only hand-held hose attachments are permitted. Please conserve water by mulching well. Contact your site coordinator or the Project Grow office immediately if you discover a leak or a water problem.

Closing Your Garden Plot: All gardeners are expected to clean up their plot at the end of the gardening season. Even perennial plots must be put to rest for the winter. Project Grow will notify gardeners of the exact date each year but it is generally the middle of October. On closing day, all annual plots should be ready for plowing, with all non-organic material removed (fencing, stakes, etc.) and vegetation cut down to 1 foot lengths and scattered around the plot. On closing day, all perennial plots should be free from all non-organic materials that are not in use and have a neat appearance.

PLEASE REMEMBER: We are guests on all properties where the gardens are located. You represent Project Grow. Please be a good tenant and respectful of landowners and neighbors.