Also, the beds are 12" deep and it's on the north side of my house. I get blazing sun all day in the summer, but only about 6 hours of sun in the winter, I've noticed.

Thank you! I thought it was the soil. Yes, I know that is a lot. My husband is going to build me another bed, but I might need two if my lettuces would grow as big as they are supposed to! Okay, so I can add to it since it's only about 6" deep right now (I guess it seeped out over the summer?). I'll start making egg shell meal and I have the Down to Earth All-Purpose fert and some fish bone meal from the same brand..should I toss those things in too? I knew I should have just mixed my own, but I couldn't find one of the ingredients at the local big box gardening store. Darn.

Soil is everything!

It is a good idea to add organic matter to your soil 3-6 inches 2-3 times a year (compost, manure, shredded leaves, pine needles). Add the organic matter 2-3 weeks before planting and water the organic material thoroughly.

If you do not want to wait that time, add nitrogen (Organic=fish emulsion/blood meal, coffee grounds/Inorganic=Ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate)to your organic matter when you add it to the soils. Remember that the 3 numbers on a fertilizer bag equal the nitrogen/phosphorus and Potassium contained in that product. the higher the first number , the more nitrogen you will be adding. Nitrogen and phosphorus are needed by annual veggie and plants.

To alleviate sodium build up which is common to our soils, you can add soil sulfur :0 Remember, if you see earth worms in your soils it is time to celebrate!

I have never seen anything but ants in my beds. =(

I cannot be sure. But Kellogg Garden Soil for Vegetables is not
intended for 100% soil but as a native soil supplement (amendment). I
would guess your vegetables are starved for minerals. Fortunately your
native soil is loaded with all the minerals a plant could want and is
free. I prefer no more than 40% amendment to native soil. Be sure it
is mixed into a homogeneous mix or the water won't infiltrate properly.

12-18" is fine. Need some depth to hold more water, stay cooler.
Either do not plant within 6" from the sides in summer or shade sides.

If that soil is getting hard it may be the salts in your water. You
should flush every six months or even more frequent to see if you can
stop that phenomenon. You normally water to a depth of 12". Daily in
summer many be needed especially if you don't mulch. Really, buy a soil
moisture meter ($10) as they work remarkably well.

Poor location in winter. If it is next to your home on the north side
you cannot be getting any sun in the winter. Need 8 hours; maybe six in
our area due to photo intensity. The fact your lettuces did well points
to lack of sunlight as a possibility since they need less than most
plants.

Fish emulsion is fine. Essentially supplies nitrogen which is usually
in short supply in the SW. But be sure to do it according to directions
as overdoing it can effectively shift to promote green leaf production.

Some of those species could be planted now. Plant each species in small
groups 2 weeks apart so you can harvest over time. I am a big believer
in using local or nearby seed suppliers especially when first starting out.
It takes one season to adapt seeds for outside the state suppliers; not a
big deal, but the F1 (next year's seeds) are noticeably adapted
[assuming you are using heirlooms]. If you are using hybrids then it doesn't matter the source.

http://www.kellogggarden.com/products/kellogg/soils/?s=all-natural-garden-soil - what you bought?

http://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1615.pdf - Yuma planting calender

https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1435-2015.pdf - garden tips for the arid SW

Contact your Master Gardener program for help:
https://extension.arizona.edu/users/staceyb - you really need a local consult

http://extension.arizona.edu/yuma-robert-j-moody-demonstration-garden

http://extension.arizona.edu/yuma-urban-horticulture

http://wateruseitwisely.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Landscape-Watering-Guide.pdf - watering

I will also chime in and say the soil is almost certainly the cause. My suggestions would be to add a bit of native soil if possible. Add a small amount of bark chips and pumice to create some soil structure that will hold air, help reduce compaction and improve drainage. Then if you need it to be ready to plant in quickly, add some fully composted manure and high quality compost and maybe a bit of Azomite along with a slow release fertilizer granual.

If you have some time before planting, try to find a local manure source that you can allow to decompose for a little while. Also add some shredded leaves and some compost for even more nutrients. Then try a cover depending on the time you have. Buckwheat takes 30 days, most clovers take 3-4 months. Once they are done, cut off the greens leaving the roots to decompose in the bed and use the tops as mulch to continue adding additional sources of green manure.

From there you can add tons of other things. Coffee grounds, egg shells, chicken manure, ... Each provides different sets of nutrients. Even buy a thing of fishing earthworms and throw them in to improve aeration and have worm castings always being created.

Your soil is what you make it. I try to have as wide variety of inputs as possible to insure nothing is lacking. Then hopefully you can start composting and have the absolute most beneficial additive available in a much higher quality product than anything bagged is. Add more to beds when you change seasonal crops and keep your soil mulched with things that will slowly work thier way in and provide constant nutrients.

ambro... Yep throw in all that stuff (fish meal etc)mix it up really good with what you have. You also might try a couple bags of top soil it tends to be heavy and dark to build up the dirt in the bed. Mix it in good. Remember chicken or steer manure is hot and you must let it set for at least a month before seeds. You also will need to add soil/stuff every year. I think everyone is in agreement about what MAKES good soil, so go for it. Good Luck Camp Verde

So, about this native soil...I'm thinking I'll have to go somewhere other than my house and dig..haha. I live in a new subdivision that is covered with filler dirt. We dug down about 2 ft for the sprinkler system and there were no signs of life..just reddish brown dirt. Could I use this? I can wait a month or two to plant and I am guessing that lettuces are probably the best bet for the location of the beds this time of year since I only get about 6-8 hours of sunlight in the winter. Okay, improve the soil! That is my first priority! Thanks so much for all the advice on how to do that! I think I'm going to have to throw it out because it's super hard and I can't break it apart.

@Fascist_Nation, what do you mean flush? How do I do this? Thanks!