IPRO 344 investigated methods for safe, low-cost community gardening in the urban setting. Most community gardens within large cities are sited in vacant lots that have been previously built upon.... Show moreIPRO 344 investigated methods for safe, low-cost community gardening in the urban setting. Most community gardens within large cities are sited in vacant lots that have been previously built upon. When the structures that once occupied these sites were demolished, the debris filled the basements of the structures, and was then covered by a shallow layer of nutrient poor dirt. The resulting vacant lots pose two problems for community gardening. First, the ground becomes tough and nearly impossible to manually prepare for gardening purposes. Second, the presence of lead and mercury from the paint and other construction materials has been incorporated into the soil, which can be harmful when transferred into plants which are then ingested. Since most community gardens in low-income neighborhoods do provide food, it became the aim of IPRO 344 to inexpensively grow plants which would be safe to eat in an urban community garden. Show less
