Community Gardens

Gardening Guidelines

Project Grow is committed to encouraging people to garden in socially and environmentally responsible ways. Currently, all plots in all gardens are organic. Fertilizers and pest control measures which may be used in the organic plots are those which are accepted by major organic certification agencies such as the Organic Crop Improvement Association. In general, soil fertility is maintained by creating optimal conditions for soil biological activity through crop rotations and the maintenance of soil organic content. Judicious use of organic and natural mineral soil amendments is also practiced, and in some cases processed mineral fertilizers may be acceptable for short-term use. Guidelines for permissible gardening practices are given below; if you have specific questions, please call the Project Grow office at 996-3169.

Weed Control. Herbicides of any kind are prohibited in ALL Project Grow plots, 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.

Insect Control. Synthetic insecticides are prohibited in ALL Project Grow plots. Preferred control methods are crop rotation, hand picking of insect pests, introduction of predator species, companion planting, soil solarization, and biological controls, e.g. Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium that controls cabbage worms. As a last resort, natural botanicals, i.e. 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 healthy soil, choose disease-resistant varieties, and remove diseased plants from the garden.

Fertilizers and Soil Amendments

Commercial inorganic fertilizers (ie 5-1--5, Miracle Grow, etc.) are not permitted. Products of plant or animal origin i.e. compost, leaf mold, livestock manure, blood and bone meal, cover crops, fish emulsion, kelp meal, liquid seaweed, and commercial organic fertilizers are acceptable. Natural mineral fertilizers, i.e. greensand, granite dust, and ground limestone are also acceptable. 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.

Non-Acceptable Plants

Project Grow cannot allow plants with the following characteristics to be grown in any of the gardens (without written permission of the Director):

Invasive species such as mint, comfrey, etc.
Trees, bushes, or other woody perennials
Illegal or dangerous plants

Membership Fee

Project Grow requires a one time $20 membership fee per Community Garden plot, payable with Registration. Discovery Garden plots do not currently require a membership fee.

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