Welcome to the desert SW's soil. Your local cooperative extension service (U of A) will be able to help you. But to answer one of Qs, raised beds is the only answer for vegs. I would use a 2 foot high bed. You should check out the Square Foot forum.

Hi Loretta,

Soil preparation is the key to growing vegetables, flowers and herbs here in the desert. I've always used the 'recipe' from the U of A Extension office and Master Gardeners which is 1/3 native soil, 1/3 sand or pumice, and 1/3 composted mulch. Most garden beds are 12 inches deep so this would mean a 4 inch layer of each, blended well with a shovel or rototiller.

Here is a link to the University of Arizona publication on vegetable gardening. You can find more resources at ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/html/pubs/pubs.htm

I hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: 10 Steps to a Successful Vegetable Garden

Absolutely investigate square food gardening methods and raised beds. Caution: the spring planting dates in most garden books are a bit late for us folks in the super heat. Florence is Pinal County isn't it?

The best garden "book" for Arizona is the internet. You can find the U of A extension service Master Garden Manual on the web. With all the cotton and dairy farming in your neighborhood, there have got to be folks around with lots of gardening experience. Any organic gardening clubs around?

Hint: Hit Walmart, Home Depot and your favorite nurseries for your seed and bedding plants. It's a bit late for catalog ordering. Plant short seasoned varieties of most veggies. Most places will have their tomato and pepper plants in mid March.

Start small and have fun.

Sunset's Western Garden book ... you really NEED it.

Raised beds help, as does whacking a few holes or cracks in the caliche and pouring pool acid into them. It foams and bubbles and dissolves the caliche.

Hi, I live in Casa Grande, husband works in Florence, it's a bit different there, but not too much as we have friends there with wonderful gardens. Raised beds for sure for veggies..we get a three way mix from The Avocado Nursery, can get it in large containers or by the pickup load, it's great, cheap, mixed already..and plants seem to love it..wind is awful here too, think we live in a wind tunnel. We put our garden in a corner between too walls, and have some trees as wind breaks as well. shade cloth 50% when digits hit three..everything grows like mad..hope this helps some..steph