Community Garden Rules

The City provides the following to gardeners, as available: a garden plot to grow produce and/or flowers for harvest by gardeners; access to water through a spigot and/or hand-held hoses; access to general garden tools and/or community shed; compost bins and/or an area for disposal of garden waste; and a limited amount of fresh soil.

If accepted as a gardener, you will abide by the following rules, terms, and conditions, pursuant to the Community Garden Agreement that each gardener shall sign:

1. You use this garden at the sole discretion of the City of Hoboken. You agree to abide by its policies and practices.
2. You understand there is a suggested donation of $10.00 per plot due one week after receiving notification of your plot assignment. Donations are requested to offset continuing maintenance and repair costs, as well as replacement costs for lost or damaged tools. Donations shall not be refunded.
3. You will have access to your plot from May 15 – November 30 (with exceptions for the Northwest Pop-Up Park Community Garden). Community Garden hours are dawn to dusk; the Community Garden will be locked after daylight hours.
4. You will plant something in your garden plot by May 31 (or if approved for a plot after May 31 within two weeks of the approval) and will maintain your plot through November 30.
5. You will keep your plot, paths, fences, and surrounding areas clean and neat. No personal belongings, aside from gardening materials and tools, shall remain on the premises (no bikes, luggage, etc.).
6. Maintenance of your garden plot is your sole responsibility. You will water as needed, remove weeds promptly, control disease or insect infestations, properly remove contaminated plants, and harvest produce in a timely manner.
7. You understand that it is your responsibility to maintain plants within the limits of your plot and to keep vegetation less than six feet in height, so as not to shade neighboring plots. You will not expand your plot beyond your assigned plot number or into paths or other plots.
8. You will not leave your plot unmaintained for any period of time exceeding two weeks without making arrangements for its care.
9. If you must abandon your plot for any reason, you will notify the Garden Administrator and Garden Manager via email.
10. You will participate in the regular cleanup and maintenance, as well as fall cleanup of the garden.
11. By November 15, you will clear your plot of all plant material, leaving the plot as found in the Spring
12. You will respect the garden’s property and assets. You will be respectful of other gardeners. You will not enter others’ plots, will not water others’ plots, and will not borrow or remove anything from the plots of other gardeners.
13. You will not take food or plants from other gardeners’ plots, unless given permission from another gardener.  I will not take anything from the garden that is not rightfully yours.
14. You will conserve water to the greatest extent possible and obey any water conservation/drought advisories.  I will turn off water after use and coil all hoses, as available, near the water source. You will not drag hoses through other gardeners’ plots.
15. You will use equipment and tools owned in common responsibly and treat them with care, clean and return them to the shed after use, and store them neatly and securely. You will not remove equipment furnished by the City of Hoboken from the garden.
16. You will completely separate your trash into three groups: 1) compost: dead plants, leaves, and other green waste plant parts; 2) recyclables: paper, plastic, cardboard, aluminum, etc. and 3) trash.  You will put each type of waste only in the areas designated specifically for each. You will place diseased and insect-infested plants in plastic bags and remove them from the site.
17. Anything you bring from your home you will take back home. You will not bring household trash and leave it at the Community Garden.
18. You will not grow illegal plants in the garden.
19. You will not sell your produce on the premises.
20. You will not smoke, drink alcoholic beverages, use illegal drugs, or gamble in the garden.  You will not come to the garden while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
21. You will not bring pets or other animals to the garden.
22. Guests and visitors, including children, may enter the garden only if you accompany them.  They must follow all rules, terms, and conditions stated in the Community Garden Agreement. You will supervise your children at all times when they are in the garden.  You am solely responsible for the behavior of your guests.
23. You will report any violation of the rules, terms, and conditions set forth in the Community Garden Agreement to the Garden Administrator via email.
24. You understand and willingly accept the inherent risks in gardening. You understand that use and misuse of gardening tools may result in injury. You are aware that soil and food-borne diseases, though rare, may be contracted through gardening or consuming undercooked food.
25. You will work to keep the garden a happy, secure, and enjoyable place where all participants can garden and socialize peacefully in a neighborly manner. You will respect other gardeners, and you will not use abusive or profane language or discriminate against others.
26. Subject to the Community Garden Agreement, you understand, acknowledge and agree that you are solely responsible for your actions and conduct, and the actions and conduct of your guests, while in the Community Garden and that neither the City of Hoboken entities nor any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, lessors, affiliated companies or foundations have any liability to you or your guests for losses, damages, or costs incurred as a result of participation in, or entry onto the premises of, the Community Garden and you waive and release the aforementioned parties from any claims that you may have, whether based on tort, contract or otherwise, resulting there from.

As a participant in the Community Garden and signatory to the Community Garden Agreement, you are a guest and that your privileges may be revoked in the event that you fail to comply with the terms of the Community Garden Agreement. Breaking any rules, terms, and conditions is cause for exclusion from the garden and loss of your plot.