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Community Garden Guides

Updated  03/26/2009

Credits: Becky LeMieux, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewas, WI
Photo Credit:
Becky LeMieux, Bad River Band
of Lake Superior Chippewas
Wisconsin

The production of vegetables and fruit is an important source of fresh food and nutrition to small communities and individuals. These guides are designed to help communities and individuals improve their production techniques to succeed in these efforts. While the guides were written specifically for the Great Lakes area of the US, they are indeed applicable across the entire northern United States, southern Canada, and anyplace where a longer growing season is desired.

These guides were produced through a partnership effort between NRCS and the Red Cliff and Bad River Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa in northwestern Wisconsin. Additional guides will be produced in the future.

Starting and Establishing Plants

The following documents are available in Adobe Acrobat format

Seed Starting (PDF; 363 KB) - The first stage of successful gardening begins with the proper starting of vegetable bedding plants.


Extending the Growing Season

Community Garden Guide, Season Extension - Floating Row Cover (PDF; 103 KB) - Floating Row Covers are lightweight blankets made from spunbonded polyester or polypropylene. There are two basic types of Floating Row Covers.

Community Garden Guide, Season Extension - Field Tunnels (PDF; 143 KB) - Field Tunnels are small, temporary structures assembled in the field that create a micro-climate favorable for plant growth when properly used and managed.

Community Garden Guide, Season Extension - High Tunnel (PDF; 202 KB) - A High Tunnel is a greenhouse-like structure which modifies the climate to create more favorable growing conditions for vegetable plants.

Community Garden Guide, Season Extension - Hoop Houses (PDF; 182 KB) - Hoophouses are small, semi-portable structures that can be used as a small greenhouse structure for starting seedlings and for growing heat-loving vegetables.

The Plant Materials Program has an extensive listing of technical publications and resources. Topics include seeding and planting,  establishment, plants for pollinators, wildlife habitat, wildfire protection and restoration, native landscaping, urban conservation, rain gardens, and many more. These resources are available on the following Plant Materials Program pages.


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