Corby Borough Council’s Allotments

Corby Borough Council owns five main allotments. These are:

1) Dale Street 2) Fotheringhay/Grendon Avenue 3) Kingsthorpe Avenue 4) Fulwell Avenue/Gretton 5) Eskdale Avenue/ Ribblesdale Avenue

Eskdale Avenue / Ribblesdale Avenue is being run by Culture and Leisure as a community project and is no longer available for general plot lets. With the demand for Allotments in Corby increasing the Council is looking to gradually bring all of the allotments back up to a proper manageable standard so they can be rented by the public.

Why take up a Allotment Plot With food prices sky rocketing and other essential items going up, you need to ask yourself these questions

“How can I get healthy food cheaper?” One answer to that question is to have an allotment plot and grow them yourself. A packet of seeds once planted and care taken to help them grow can feed a family cheaper than getting the vegetables from a supermarket, plus there is the satisfaction of watching your own produce grow.

“How can I improve my health without paying for a gym membership”

If you spend half an hour digging and planting crops then you will help decrease the chance of having health problems later in life. By growing your own vegetables you know what chemicals have been sprayed on them (or perhaps none!) plus there is no comparison where flavour is concerned.

What do I need to start? The basic equipment needed to start cultivating an allotment is:

• Spade • Fork • Rake/hand rake • Hoe • Watering Can • Trowel.

In the long run it may be worth buying good quality tools are these can last a lifetime and will save you money. If money is tight, it might not at thee worth having a look in second hand shops or car boots sales for a bargain.

Tips for creating a productive allotment

By adopting a rotation system you will help prevent soil borne diseases building up as you are not growing the same crops on the same piece of ground each year. It is also worth considering the tips below to help your allotment plot thrive:

• Protect new plants with bottle cloches

• Grow plants which have resistance to disease

• Hoeing in dry weather ensures the weeds will die, this will also bring water to the surface, which will mean that you will not have to water the ground as much.

• Avoid bonfires as a smoking bonfire is an offence, but also releases toxins into the atmosphere.

• Use a water butt to collect any rain water off the shed. Remember, treated mains water has to be paid for – rain water is free

• Grown annual and perennial flowers as these attract pests eating insects and are important if you are organic gardening.

• Create an area on your allotment for composting as this will in the future save buying manure and will help to recycle your old vegetables and cuttings.

What Vegetables Are Best To Grow On an Allotment

The crops which are best to grow are the vegetables that you and your family like to eat, depending on the time of year.

These could be:

• Potatoes

• Carrots

• Cabbages

• Lettuce

• Onions

• Leeks

What do I do next?

If you would like to be considered for an allotment plot on one of the Council’s Allotments then you can fill in an application online (www.corby.gov.uk) or telephone the Allotment Officer for the Council on 01536 464684 who will put your name on the waiting list for any future plots which may become available.

EAT HEALTHY, GET FIT, ENJOY LIFE !

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