Down here, it's too hot still to even think about planting. Putting anything out in this heat seems homicidal.

Yeah sure tf, but I'm still thinkin'.....I want to try 'cutting celery'. It will be something different - you don't have to grow an entire celery bunch. The idea is you snip the celery leaves, as if they were lettuce I think, and add to soups, stews and salads. I have the seeds, just waiting for better conditions.

Anyone else? Oh - maybe a new baby boc choy too.

I just ordered seeds for purple pole beans (I don't know why I keep trying to grow beans -- they just don't seem to be my thing), baby bok choy, celery, lettuce and cucumbers. I'll also be planting tomatoes, cilantro, carrots, broccoli, swiss chard and maybe fava beans, although I had such a crappy harvest from them last year, I'll have to think very hard on that one.

Bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, carrots and swiss chard are all on the list, although I need to wait a few more weeks to start -- it's way too hot right now. And various lettuces -- romaine, arugula, prizehead and salad bowl.

Actually it is time to start planting for the fall vegetable season in Phoenix. The local farmers are planting now. I use a local planting guide as well but the farmers are proof that it is time for me.

Looks like you're in for a soaking! Our chances of rain in Phx are much less and it will probably skip right on by many areas. Anyhoo, at nearly 3,200' elevation, you're on a different planting schedule so it's probably about time for you to get seeds in. What's your first projected frost date? Btw, I'm so envious of your area; every time I drive through, all I see are great gardens. ;o)

Here is a link that might be useful: Camp Verde rain forecast

Frost can happen anytime starting the mid of OCT. So I watch the temp. will have to be ready to pull the tomatoes and hang them in the garage to finish. One year I got caught had a unexpected frost and they turned black.
We use the "NWS radar image loop base of refectivity" for N. Arizona and it works quite well. We can see the storms coming from any direction from any part of the state,(hour by hour) along with any warnings. Saturday we got a bunch of rain so no watering for a few days. Pulled up the zucchini and the melon vines. Will plant lettus here in the next week, need to till the soil first. I plant red salad bowl, spanish and one other. I get my seeds from Seed Savers Exchange. They even have Heirlooms and a free catologe. WWW.seedsavers.org
Thanks everyone for your input and happy planting

You guys got me fired up, haha! Im getting in gear with finishing up my beds so I can plant in time for the season. This will be my first time planting in raised beds so hopefully I will see much better results than I had with my plants in the compacted ground soil.

3DinAz - thats what I have, the soil here is very bad.
I have two 8'x4'x3' beds. Even if I ever move I don't think I will ever go back to the ground. Everthing is so much easier. No more back problems and seeds start great. Just a note in January you might want to turn in steer manurae before planting for spring. You MUST LET IT SIT for at least ONE month before planting anything or it will burn everthing. Camp V

Camp V, thank you for that tip! It just so happens that I have a good buddy who own a few horses. He told me that I can some by and grab as much manure as I want whenever I need it. Sounds like I might need to plan on going to get some so I can let it sit and compost. I worry about it stinking during the initial stages though. My wife and neigbors might not be too appreciative, haha.

On another note, I was wondering about crops that I might be able to plant in the beds that would survive the winter? Or it that more trouble than its worth?

Lettuce, cilantro, beets, carrot....you can get a good planting calendar for the Valley. 3D, I don't remember where you're located but am thinking outside the valley. Anyhow, fwiw, here's a link to a planting calendar for Phoenix.

Here is a link that might be useful: Urban Farm Planting Calendar

marymcp,
Thank you for the link!! I printed it out and stuck it in my journal. Alot of things are starting to make sense now since I came here for an education on Arizona gardening. Its a faaaarrr cry from doing this hobby in Ohio. We could just plant in the spring and watch the rain make thing happen while watching out for the critters who liked the crops also, haha!!

Im in Yuma by the way. Thanks again!

Yuma should be similar in elevation and heat/cold indexes. Good luck and keep in touch here.

I once lived in the Santa Cruz mountains in northern California. One could spit on the ground and Jack's Beanstalk would sprout the next day. Mary, you're not in California anymore.....

Mary I am from So. California as well and my soil there was the same. Rub my shoe in the ground throw down some seed and wala any thing would grow. That is not the case here in Camp Verde. It can be a real stuggle, but if you can get good at growing stuff in Arizona by gosh you can grow stuff anywhere.