Radishes are some of the fastest-growing veggies you can plant, with some varieties ready in as little as 3 weeks. Plant in containers or beds where you’ve pulled out spent summer vegetables.
Lettuce is one of the quickest crops you can grow, with baby leaves of some varieties ready in about 3 to 4 weeks. Plant a mix, or mesclun, for the best salad combination of different colors and textures. Lettuce also grows well in pots and window boxes because its roots are so shallow, but it’s not happy in the heat, so give it a little afternoon shade and keep the soil moist while waiting for it to sprout.
Carrots are another root crop that likes cool weather. There are many different types, but look for quick-growing dwarf varieties that mature in about 2 months.
This is my Kale I have been growing all year. Kale takes about 60 days to mature, and it comes in so many varieties from tender Red Russian to sturdy lacinato, or Tuscan kale. It’s quite cold-hardy and will taste sweeter after the first frost. In many regions, the plants will survive well into winter and green up again next spring.
