There is a wide variety of fruit and vegetables to choose from. The best advice is to grow what you will actually eat. It is also important to take into account your soil type and adapt your planting to suit it. Experience will tell you what grows well on your plot, and you can learn from what others grow on the site.

Also it is good to remember that allotment gardening is not just about vegetables and fruit; plenty of gardeners grow flowers, too. Flowers can help increase your overall yield by improving pollination, and will give you and your neighbours great pleasure.

The following list of sources may provide you with good advice on how to grow your own fruit and vegetables, including organic produce:

• RHS Grow Your Own

Information on growing and using fresh produce

• BBC Gardening Grow Your Own

Advice on what to grow, where and when

• Organic Gardening

Information on how to grow fruit and vegetables without chemicals and pesticides.