Providing the space for organic gardening within our community is Project Grow's core focus.

From modest beginnings, Project Grow now facilitates 21 community gardens throughout Ann Arbor. Each site varies in size and is comprised of different plot types so see a list of individual garden sites to find the one that fits your needs.

Also, learn more about Project Grow's:

View the list of Garden Sites
Operation of the Garden Sites
General Guidelines for Gardening With Project Grow

What to Expect at Any Project Grow Garden Site

Even with 20+ garden sites and over 450 gardeners annually, everyone is using the plots in the same general manner.  Project Grow’s garden sites are run fairly independently. Each has characteristics and practices that are unique to the site.  The following is information applicable to any Project Grow site.

Garden Site Coordinator

Each garden site has one or more gardeners who are site coordinators. Site coordinators are on-site managers and intermediaries between the landowner, the managing director, and the gardeners. Site coordinators are organized, experienced gardeners who volunteer their time to manage Project Grow sites. They oversee the opening, operating, and closing of the garden site each season, schedule and notify gardeners of site meetings and work parties, hay deliveries, current problems at the site, and closing day and its requirements.

Your garden site coordinator can answer questions about the garden site, gardening in general, and the responsibilities of individual gardeners. Be sure to let them know of any problems in the garden. They know what is happening at the site and can usually answer your questions. When necessary, they will pass issues on to the managing director.

Please let your site coordinators know the best way to reach you, especially if your contact information changes. Some gardeners wonder why they have not heard from their site coordinator when the gardens open. Often, there are misdirected emails in your SPAM folder.

Garden Plots: Annual vs Perennial

Project Grow garden plots are annual or perennial. Annual plots are open to gardening around May 1 in the spring and close in mid-October. Perennial plots are not tilled by Project Grow and are open year-round. Some sites have only annual plots, some only perennial plots and a few have both or something in between. We have more sites with only annual plots because many landowners prefer that their property be cleared each fall.

County Farm, Catholic Social Services, Clague, and Ellsworth have both annual and perennial plots. Matthaei offers perennial quarter plots to people who also have an annual plot. If you would like a perennial plot at one of these sites and have completed one year as an annual gardener at the site, please email the managing director. You will be placed on a waitlist and notified when a plot becomes available on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional perennial space is not guaranteed and is evaluated yearly.

Airport, Buhr Park, Hillside, Hunt, Lakewood, and Wines are entirely perennial sites. Consider applying at one of these sites if you are only interested in being able to garden on a perennial basis.

Catholic Social Services (CSS), Zion, and the south plots at Greenview are plowed annually in the fall but not in the spring. This allows gardeners to plant garlic and hardy annuals and provides for an early spring start for greens and brassicas varieties.

Plot and Bed Size

Full plots are approximately 750 square feet in size.

Half plots are approximately 375 square feet.

Quarter plots are approximately 180 square feet.

Many Project Grow gardens are decades old, so sizes are approximate and may vary. Not all plot sizes are available at all sites.

A Discovery Garden is a raised bed with approximately 18 to 32 square feet, depending on the site and the bed. While Discovery Garden beds can be gardened by anyone, some of them are taller and are especially suited for those with physical challenges. If you would like a tall raised bed, you can request that in the Notes section of the application.

Opening of the Annual Gardens

There are several steps to prepare the annual gardens in the spring. The managing director works with landowners, outside contractors, and site coordinators to do the following:

  1. Tilling - Project Grow uses an outside contractor to do the tilling at 11 sites.
  2. Staking - The site coordinator and fellow gardeners place a labeled stake on the corners of each plot so that you can identify your plot. Your emailed confirmation contains your plot number and a sitemap to find your plot.
  3. Prep - Many sites have other chores that need to be completed before the garden is fully up and running. These include laying out hoses and maintenance of tools. These tasks are usually carried out by the gardeners under the direction of the site coordinator.
  4. Opening Day!

Tilling of the Gardens

Spring tilling of the annual fields occurs anytime between late April and mid-May.  Wet ground cannot be tilled because it creates big lumps of soil that dry out into hard clods. This damages the soil structure and makes gardening very difficult. In a wet spring, patience is needed. Soil moisture is checked regularly and the fields are tilled once conditions are right. Tilling must be completed before the site can be staked. Watch for email updates from your site coordinator!

Garden Stake Out

Once tilled, annual gardens are staked to mark individual plots. Like tilling, stake out depends on the weather and available hands. If you would like to help with stake out, check the SignUp Genius page for your site for open slots. This is one of the hardest times to be patient.  Do not start gardening until you receive word from your site coordinator that the gardens are open.

Final Prep Work

Almost all sites have hoses that need to be laid out in the garden, and storage sheds for shared tools that may need to be organized. Check the SignUp Genius page for ways you can help with these last preparations to get the gardens open and running.

Opening Day

Your site coordinator will inform you when the site is ready to start gardening. Do not start gardening until you get this announcement. Some sites schedule an "official" opening day so gardeners can meet, and site coordinators can answer questions and inform you of policies specific to the site. Attend if one is arranged at your site. It is a great community-building opportunity for your garden.


When visiting the garden the first time, bring the map and plot number sent with your confirmation so you are sure to begin planting the right plot. If you are at all unsure, check with your site coordinator.

Watering

Water is included in plot fees. Please help us keep our costs (and your plot fees) down.

  • Handle hoses, nozzles, spigots, and splitters with care.
  • Turn off the water at the nozzle, the spigot, and at any Y-connector/splitter after each use. (Built-up pressure + hot weather can lead to hose leaks.)
  • Recommended :
    • Check with your site coordinator to learn any quirks specific to your site’s watering set-up.
    • Use a nozzle or other hand-held hose attachments for precise watering.
    • Mulch to conserve water.
    • Sprinklers are permitted only when the gardener is on-site monitoring the sprinkler.
  • Prohibited :
    • Unattended garden watering
    • Hose timers

Important Reminder: Contact your site coordinator or the managing director if there's a leak or water problem.

Tools and Equipment

Most sites supply gardening tools marked with a red handle and "Project Grow."

  • All sites supply hoses.
  • Required:
    • Use tools with care.
    • Clean and return tools to onsite storage when leaving the garden site.
    • Notify your site coordinator when tools break.
    • Site coordinators are responsible for discarding hoses.

Site Maintenance

Gardens managed by Project Grow are maintained by the organization and its gardeners to meet landowner requirements. Each site may coordinate work parties, community task lists, or other means to care for the common spaces in each garden.

Every site has areas shared by gardeners and guests - aisles, perimeters, water spigots, shared tools, and so on. Maintaining these requires mowing, weed-whacking, and hose or tool repairs. At some sites, special work parties are also organized for putting up and taking down fencing for the site, or repairing shared fencing. Project Grow has over 400 gardeners and inevitably, one or more plots end up abandoned by the gardener. Cleaning up abandoned plots is also a shared responsibility.

Some larger sites schedule monthly work parties, while smaller sites may encourage individual gardeners to keep the common areas mowed, weeded, and trash-free. Many sites also have a final work party to close the garden at the end of the season.

Your help is an essential part of being a Project Grow gardener. Check your site's Signup Genius page for ways you can contribute to the smooth operation of your site.

Closing Your Garden Plot

The third Saturday of October marks the end of the annual garden season. The exact date is published on our website, published several times in the newsletter, and communicated to gardeners by their site coordinators. As agreed to when you applied for a garden plot, the gardening agreement includes cleaning your plot at the end of the season. This is a big job and it is strongly recommended that you start the process several weeks ahead of the date so you can take your time.

Annual Plots

Annual plots must be plow-ready by dusk on closing day. Here is a checklist to use to meet that deadline:

  • Compost or take home all dead annual plants and weeds.
  • Remove and take home all fencing, cages, stakes, strings, pots, markers and all other non-organic materials from your garden.
  • Leave the numbered stakes put in by Project Grow to ID the plot number.
  • Remove all rocks and place them in designated rock piles.
  • Remove all diseased and solanaceous plant and fruit material (tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, potatoes, and eggplants) and discard at home.
  • Pull out all plants with tough stalks or long vines, such as sunflowers, corn, or pumpkins, chop them into 1-foot lengths, and spread them around your plot.
  • Chop down all other tall plants into 1-foot lengths and spread the pieces around the area (do not leave them in piles, which cannot be easily plowed).
    Unbind and spread out all unused hay bales.
  • Dig up and discard stumps from sunflowers, corn, and anything else with a large stem. These cannot be easily pulled up by the tiller.
  • Perform a final walk-through of your plot to collect any remaining plastic debris: plant tags, zip ties, straw/marsh hay roping, etc.
  • Give needed volunteer hours for whole garden cleanup, or attend any final work party scheduled for your site.
  • At the end of closing day, all annual plots should be ready for the fall tilling.

Perennial plots

Perennial plots can be gardened throughout the year, but also require end-of-season cleanup. Perennial gardeners must:

  • Compost or take home all dead annual plants and weeds.
  • Dispose of all diseased plants at home.
  • Take home any tools, pots, buckets, or items that will not be used during the fall/winter including bottled liquids, soil supplements, etc.
  • Take home or neatly stack/store all tomato cages and plant/structure supports in one area of your garden.
  • Give needed volunteer hours for whole garden cleanup, or attend any final work party scheduled for your site.
  • At the end of closing day, all perennial plots should be free of any non-organic material not in use and have a neat appearance.

General Guidelines for Gardening With Project Grow

Gardening Organically

Project Grow is committed to gardening in socially and environmentally responsible ways. All of our gardens are organic. The only fertilizers, herbicides, and disease or pest controls allowed are those accepted by major organic certification agencies, such as the Organic Crop Improvement Association. Soil fertility is maintained or enhanced by creating optimal conditions for biological activity, through crop rotation, the addition of organic material, and the judicious use of organic and natural mineral amendments. The use of prohibited chemicals will result in immediate expulsion from the garden and forfeiture of the 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, consult the gardening section of our website, or, if you need further assistance, email the managing director at [email protected]. Many of your neighbors at the garden site are experienced gardeners and may be able to offer advice and solutions to your problems. Do not overlook them when trying to get answers to your questions.

Fencing

We share these sites with many creatures, large and small, two- and four-legged. Fencing can improve your harvest by providing a barrier to the creatures that want to eat what you are growing.

  • Fencing the perimeter of your plot is strongly encouraged, but not required.
  • Project Grow does not supply individuals with garden fencing.
  • No fence or barrier will keep everything out.
  • No fence works well when the gates are left open.
  • A simple zip tie or lock will help keep the public from entering your plot.
  • Several sites have a perimeter deer fence.
    • These fences are intended to keep out large animals that can jump high.
    • These fences do not consistently keep out animals that dig or climb.
    • There may be a fencing surcharge to pay for the deer fence.

Project Grow’s long-term goal is to eliminate the use of plastics in the garden. To achieve that goal, we ask that you do not use plastic fencing.

Weed Control

Gardeners are expected to control weed growth in and around the perimeter of their plot. Synthetic herbicides of any kind are prohibited. Recommended practices for controlling weeds are hoeing, mulching, and hand weeding. A quick start in the gardens after they open also helps, as desirable plants help to keep the weeds at bay.

The absolute best method of weed control is mulching. It comes with the bonus of increasing moisture retention in the soil. It’s a win-win that will make the difference in how much you work in the garden and how much you enjoy it. Several sites provide the opportunity to purchase marsh hay that is delivered to your site at the beginning of the garden season. Your site coordinator will contact you when it is time to place an order. You can also use other mulching material: leaves collected in the fall, chemical-free grass clippings, and even the weeds themselves will work. A layer of cardboard or multiple layers of newspaper laid under other mulches can also be used.

Plots that have not been seriously worked by June 1 or are overgrown with weeds taller than 18" at any point in the season may be considered abandoned and reassigned to another gardener or cleared of all growth during work parties. These gardeners will also forfeit the ability to garden with Project Grow in the future.

In the event of a maintenance issue with your plot, the site coordinator may request the assistance of the managing director to contact you. The managing director will use the information available on the plot application or site coordinator correspondence to first email you, then phone you. If contact is unsuccessful and issues are not resolved within two weeks of the first email, your plot may be considered abandoned, and you may forfeit gardening with Project Grow in the future. Please see the section on Communication.

Insect Control

Synthetic insecticides are prohibited. Preferred control methods include crop rotation, hand picking, introduction of predator species such as ladybugs or lacewings, biological controls such as Bacillus thuringiensis (BT), companion planting, soil solarization, and row covers. Row cover works best with vegetables that don't require fertilization by preventing insects from getting to the crops to lay eggs or feed. These include lettuces, arugula, spinach, beets, or chard.

Disease Control

Most problems with diseases, especially soil-borne ones, can be controlled by maintaining a clean garden and healthy soil. Here are some ways you can help:

  • Keep track of what you plant and where from year to year and do not plant the same crop in the same location year after year (rotating crops).
  • Water judiciously (infrequent deep watering, instead of frequent light watering).
  • Select disease-resistant and healthy plant varieties.
  • Remove diseased plants from the garden as soon as possible.
  • Solanaceous plants and fruit (plants of the nightshade family), such as tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, potatoes, and eggplants, should be removed at the end of the season, to minimize the presence of disease spores that can devastate these crops the following year.

Fertilizers and Soil Amendments

In general, well-maintained soil should not need fertilizers. Rather, efforts should be directed to improving the quality of your soil by the addition of organic material of plant or animal origin, such as compost, leaf mold, aged livestock manure, blood and bone meal, and fish or plant meals. Natural mineral amendments, such as greensand, granite dust, ground limestone, or rock phosphate are also good. If other fertilizers are required, liquidized seaweed, fish emulsions, and commercially prepared organic fertilizer blends are acceptable. Compost is available from local nurseries and the City of Ann Arbor. Check with your site coordinator to see if a delivery has been arranged or if there are other gardeners you can coordinate with for a delivery.

Garden Refuse

Gardens inevitably create weeds and refuse that need disposal. Do not dump organic waste in the brush or woods near the garden site or in trash receptacles. Composting can be done within your plot by using weeds as a mulch or designating a specific corner/area of your plot as the compost pile. If you cannot or do not wish to compost garden waste in your plot, please dispose of the refuse at home.

Dumping of weeds into unused areas of your site is strictly prohibited. A few of the smaller sites have a designated compost area - ask your site coordinator if your site is one of them. If you wish to learn more about composting, classes with our Master Composter Certification Program are available each fall, while direct hands-on experience in composting is available at Project Grow's Compost Education Center, located at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Rd., Ann Arbor, MI. To find out what opportunities are currently offered, email [email protected].

Being a Good Neighbor

A community garden brings together all sorts of interesting people, and we are proud that many lifelong friendships began in the garden. In addition to meeting, talking to, and helping out adjacent gardeners, please try to be the kind of neighbor you would want to have yourself.

  • Put tall structures for climbers like beans and cucumbers, and tall plants like corn and sunflowers in the middle of your plot so they will not shade your neighbor’s plot.
  • Keep weeds under control, especially grass and weeds along the boundaries with your neighbors.
  • Do not allow weeds to go to seed.

Non-Acceptable Plants

Project Grow cannot allow plants with the following characteristics to be grown in any of the gardens:

  • Invasive species, such as comfrey, Jerusalem artichoke, or mints of all kinds, including oregano;
  • Morning glories;
  • Lemon balm;
  • Trees;
  • Illegal or dangerous plants including marijuana and magic mushrooms.
  • Bushes or other woody perennials such as blueberries and raspberries are permitted in perennial plots but not annual plots.
  • Raspberries and other cane fruit can be grown in perennial plots but please adhere to the policy below.

Raspberry Plants Policy

Given the invasive nature of raspberries and the frequent problems they generate for gardeners in plots adjacent to them, Project Grow’s policy is that growers of raspberries maintain a raspberry-free distance of 3 feet between them and their neighbors unless the adjacent gardener is also interested in growing raspberries. These growers must also keep their plants from extending into the common pathways.

Plot Maintenance

Plots that have not been seriously worked by June 1 or are overgrown with weeds taller than 18" at any point in the season may be considered abandoned and reassigned to another gardener or cleared of all growth during work parties. These gardeners will also forfeit their right to garden with Project Grow in the future.

Efforts will be made to contact the parties involved before any actions are taken, but it is the responsibility of each gardener to inform Project Grow of any obstacles that prevent them from gardening in a timely or acceptable fashion.

Moving?

If you relocate some distance away from your garden, please inform your site coordinator and the managing director immediately. It is important to let Project Grow know of your move because it may adversely impact your garden. Abandoned gardens can be avoided. Don't be "that person" who leaves your garden unattended. Email the managing director at [email protected] before you move. It’s much easier to help before the weeds grow.

Plot Assignments from Year to Year

Project Grow’s managing director is tasked with all plot assignments, coordinating returning gardeners and maintaining wait lists. New plot assignments are made on a first-come, first-served basis each year. Returning gardeners who have kept their gardens weeded and in good condition have the first option to renew their garden rental. To insure plots are available to the general public, Project Grow gardeners can not assign their garden plot to another gardener/friend/relative/etc. Garden plots are not to be subleased to other people who have not applied for that plot directly with Project Grow. Gardeners who have unique or unexpected circumstances should communicate directly with the Project Grow managing director. Plots that are worked by more than one person should list the contact information for all expected gardeners on the annual application(s).