Regular ... Planting seedlings every fortnight is a great way to sustaining crops of lettuce. Photo: Supplied

Early spring is the ideal time to plant if you've moved into a new home or have been lucky enough to get a plot in a community garden. As well, if you've got youngsters at home, you will be looking for plants that are easy and quick to grow.

Some vegetables are easy to grow and some challenging. I would start with the quick-growing ones that don't take up too much space.

Bush beans are one of the easiest and they are active contributors back to the garden with their nitrogen-fixing root nodules. Beans are very nutritious and can be eaten fresh or steamed, or frozen for later use. The seeds are big enough for small children to handle and space out. The shoots will begin to emerge very quickly, in seven to 10 days, and you'll start to get a crop nine or 10 weeks later.

Rows of lettuce at different stages of growth. Photo: Cathryn Tremain

Plant bean seeds five centimetres deep and allow about 10 centimetres between plants along the row. Plant in mid to late September to avoid the regular frost season. Frosts are the biggest challenge, so cover up each little seedling overnight with a small pot or a protection cloth if a frost is forecast. Keep the bean plants well watered on hot dry days, especially when they are flowering.

Snowpeas are also easy to grow and can be planted out immediately. They're useful in stir-fries and salads, as well as steamed. Plant a couple of rows so you can harvest a good handful each day. Sow the seeds five centimetres deep and allow eight centimetres between plants. All peas like relatively rich soil so dig in a generous amount of compost before sowing.

Carrots are a must for any home garden as they produce a high-yielding crop in a small space. The best ones to start with are the small, faster-growing varieties such as ''little finger''. It's a challenge to avoid sowing too much seed in each row. Keeping the surface soil moist until the seed has begun to sprout is a must. I will write in detail about growing carrots next week.

Silverbeet and spinach are very nutritious and easy to grow. Direct sow into the garden, spacing the seeds at 15-centimetre intervals and one centimetre deep. They also grow better in a good, rich soil, so add plenty of compost and a handful of pelletised organic fertiliser for every square metre. Ensure the plants are watered regularly when the leaves are filling out, to secure a good harvest.

Lettuces are essential for summer salads. They need a rich garden bed and regular watering as the days become hotter. Open-leaf varieties grow well and you can harvest a few leaves each day, as you need them. Plant a small number of seedlings each fortnight throughout spring and summer.

Potatoes complete my selection. They are easy to grow and from just a few seed potatoes you can harvest quite a sizeable crop. Buy either certified seed potatoes from your local garden centre or organic potatoes (supermarket supplies are not recommended, as they have often been treated). Spread your potatoes out in a semi-dark, dry location so they can begin to produce shoots (referred to as ''chitting''). Plant in early October to avoid frost damage. I'll write in more detail on potatoes in September.


>> Owen Pidgeon owns the Loriendale Organic Orchard near Hall.

This week

■ Plant out open-leaf lettuce seedlings, bok choy and rocket, and plan a fortnightly cycle of further plantings;

■ Plant rows of sugar snap peas, snowpeas and silverbeet directly into the garden;

■ Install a covering net for maturing winter vegetables, garlic and peas if you are having bird problems. Where you have developing cauliflowers, tie up the leaves across the top of the curds to protect them from frosts and too much light;

■ Complete fertilising citrus trees with a generous application of old chicken manure or pellitised organic fertiliser, spreading around the edge of the tree (the dripline);

■ Fertilise your stonefruit trees with slow-release pellitised organic fertiliser or blood and bone, then add some compost and top with sugar cane or lucerne mulch.