Growing veggies in Phoenix?

My friend lives in Havasu (sp.) Arizona, where the London Bridge is.

Any how, he just sent me pictures of his tomatoes and told my that this would be the last good pick, before the heat overwhelmed them. It was the week of June 20 that I got the pictures.

Next year he plans to put up some form of over head shade to hold off the scorching sun and try for a longer harvest. I also think that he planted late April, early March. He also said to watch out or mice and bunnies, because the juicy fresh veggies are a water source for them.

I'm thinking if you made shade house you could beat the heat by another month. Nothing elaborate something like an open greenhouse with a shade cloth roof, you could do it like an awning so it wouldn't look trashy. I like to maintain a nice look for the gardens, the inside of the house looks like a tornado hit it but outside I make it look nice as it is my presentation to the rest of the world.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_9?url=sea...

Grow in containers under the shade awning. I've grown 5 pounds of sweet potatoes in a 15" container. Using containers beats the bunnies and such also. Weeding is extra easy too. I grow many veggies, herbs and flowers in pots and I believe it is the easiest way to go. You don't need a 500 sq ft garden to grow enough veggies. I have 40 onions in a pot 24" x 28". They are a small onion, cippolini about the size of 2 golf balls, I pickle them. I grow pickling cukes in pots using tomato cages and get quite a few pickles made. Optimum soil temp for tomatoes is 85F which means they can handle a lot of heat. They usually stop fruiting at 90F. You may have to pollinate by hand at higher temps because bees don't like excessive heat. But you could grow fennel which likes heat and leek and let them go to flower. They attract a lot of bees many which may pollinate your other plants. My father always told me I couldn't grow things or do things with plants. I figured they were only plants and learned how to do it the regular way and then started doing it my way. Don't let people say you can't, find out if you can or not is what I say. Some things. If you grow in containers you have to rotate tomatoes and cukes to different pots as disease will be in soil. I have a 3 year schedule of rotation. Find AZ Agricultural service and find out how to send soil samples. I take representative samples put them in ziploc bags and send to mine in CT. They send me a report of what I need to amend soil. It only costs me postage. I also have a moisture meter which you can get at any garden center, this makes watering a NO guess thing. Buy plants at a real garden center whatever you do. NOT Walmart, HD or Lowes, please, please. I just answered a question where the person bought bugs along with the plant at Walmart, they like to give you extra for your money.