Guest blogger Ali bagged her allotment two years ago. She shares her tips for novice allotmenteers here.

1. Don’t despair
   Once you have acquired your coveted plot, don’t despair if it is a jungle of weeds of every shape and form. My current plot was thick with brambles, bindweed, six trees, and lots of rubbish including an old hen house, numerous stolen purses and a few fox carcasses.
   I took it slowly and cleared the plot bit by bit over 12 months, but as I cleared, I planted something so it felt as though I was getting somewhere – slowly but surely.
   
2. Glean wisdom from the elders
   Always ask advice from the more mature allotmenteers. Don’t be afraid to ask them to show how things are done if you are a novice, as I was two years ago. Many of the older plot holders are retired and love to share their experiences and invaluable knowledge. They also love the company and like a chit-chat.
3. Sow to eat
   Only grow what you intend to eat. There is no point in sowing, nurturing, watering and worrying whilst raising a veg plant from seed, only to give the fruits – or veg – of your labour away because you can’t stand it. Although there’s no harm in swapping veg with another plot holder…
4. Keep a record
   Write a diary or keep an allotment blog so you can refer back to it from one year to the next. I am currently wondering when to lift my second earlies, and will refer to my blog for this information. You should also keep a plan as you go so that you know what you have planted and where, so next year you can make the necessary changes for crop rotation, which will prevent diseases. This is especially useful if you have just lifted some over-wintered veg and planted something else in their place for the summer months.
5. Learn by your mistakes
   Don’t get disheartened when things go wrong. Last year I couldn’t grow a carrot of any shape, colour, form or description. And yes, I tried several varieties, built a text-book fleeced carrot cage and put down derris dust to deter carrot fly – and I failed. Miserably.
   This year I have planted my carrots in long straight rows with no fleece. And hey presto! I have carrots of the “What’s up, Doc?” variety: long, straight, orange and carrot shaped!
6. Best of friends
   Companion planting is another good tip to pass on and has got a lot going for it. Before the days of chemicals this was all the veg growers had to assist them. So now I plant French Marigolds amongst my tomatoes, and this year I planted onions on either side of my carrots as this is beneficial for masking the carrot scent and deterring carrot root fly. Planting mint by your lettuces is another companion planting tip that I use, although I can’t for the life of me remember exactly why, but I do have some great Cos and Iceberg plants as a result…
7. Slugs and snails and puppy dogs’ tails
   I doubt the latter will be a problem on your plot, but there are some simple tips to avoid our slimy foes. If you keep your plot weed free and only water in the mornings, then you are well on your way to a slug-free plot. If I do find one, I must admit I do not have the heart to stamp, stomp, pierce or drown them, so I pick them up (sometimes not even wearing gloves) and lob them with my best impersonation of a cricketer bowling a ball over the boundary fence – but don’t tell anyone that, will you?
8. Catch the light
   If you are raising seedlings on your windowsill at home, as I had to do for my first two years prior to saving up for a greenhouse, make a reflective sheet. It is a nice easy Blue Peter-challenge level job.
   Take a sheet of card that’s the same width as your window and ¾ of the height. Cover this with bog-standard kitchen foil so that the shiny side is facing outwards. Place this behind your plants and secure by taping or propping up.
   This will help to promote even growth and you will find the seedlings grow straight rather than leaning towards the glass or light. This will also mean you won’t have to remember to turn your pots daily.
9. Fancy a cuppa?
   If you drink as much tea as I do, you’ll soon have a good stock of teabags. Place these at the bottom of a pot when planting seedlings or when potting on. This helps to retain moisture.
10. Enjoy yourself
    Allotment gardening is hard work, no doubt about it. But it is extremely rewarding. I still come home with a huge smile of self-congratulation when I have some home-grown veg in my bicycle basket or trailer. Think of your plot as a free, non-subscription, outdoor gym. Take a packed lunch with you if you are going to spend a few hours there so you have no excuse to pop back home. That’s just an excuse to go and not come back.
    Invest in a camping stove, kettle and a tin mug or two so you can enjoy a freshly-brewed cuppa with fellow allotmenteers. Taking a little break on your plot will revive you and give you bags of energy to carry on and do some more weeding, digging, tying back or whatever else needs doing, as there is always something that needs doing on your allotment! But for me, my allotment is a passion, never a chore.