Its hotter here than there by quite a bit and I can tell you what we do. Shade tomatoes from the afternoon sun with 40-50 percent shade cloth. Mulch 3-6" think with chipped wood or bark or saw dust. Some people use straw or hay also with good results. Put you plants on drip irrigation with a timer and water early evening or early morning just before sun up as often as needed.

We get similar temps here in San Jose and it wreaks havoc on my pepper and tomato flowers. I'm not sure of the answer but this year I plan to shield my plants from the late afternoon sun and see if it helps. Mulching, like thisisme said is important too.

When you shade with 40/50 out in AZ does it help get you fruit production in July-Sept or does it just keep the plants from getting sunburnt?

My main concern would be the sun burn. So I think the shade screen will be a good idea. I have light wood chips and pine needle bark I get for free from the electric company (SMUD) out here.

How long should I set the drip timer for on those hot days? I was thinking an hour but I'm just speculating.

I used to live in Sacto. You don't need to do anything for peppers, eggies, toms, etc. They want heat. Onion plant earlier. Beans may need some shade, plant early. Over ~95, no pollintaion on toms. LOTS of talent and knowledge there to draw from. Lots. UCD, Master Gardeners. Lots of talent. Sacratomato.

Dan

nc-crn cherry types will still fruit. None cherries may give you a few fruit through the hot months. What it will do is keep them healthy and happy. Then when it finally cools down again they will be big happy plants ready to produce lots of maters.

40-50 percent shade cloth will give you 15-20 degree temperature drop. Which means they will fruit longer and more often during the summer months. The mulch is important too.

I'm in Sacramento too.

Our heat is intermittent, so just keep your plants growing and flowering. They may not set fruit during the heat spells, but if you have more flowers comming when it cools off, you'll get plenty of veggies. Just remember that we're very close to some of the best tomato production areas in the world. It's a good place to grow tomatoes.

Eggplants and Peppers seem more shallow-rooted than tomatoes. They love the heat, but they do best with slightly more frequent water (and plenty of mulch).

Here is a link that might be useful: My blog

I never had problems with sunburn. Just don't water such that drops stay on the leaves in midday. I never did shade cloth either. I'd be more concerned about all the air pollution now and the low-level ozone. But there is so much local talent thereabouts everywhere - Find some old-timers and do what they do. Hopefully you live somewhere that counts on a Delta breeze.

Dan

It gets very hot & humid here (unlike NJ),
so last summer was an eye-opener

We had no problem with sunburn
(unless we watered before full sun hit the leaves)

However, above 95F the pollen got too sticky to work
and above 100F most of the plants were dropping their blossoms

However, once the weather got cooler again
those same plants produced a great crop
-ExNJer

Here is some ideas for heat loving veggies and fruits;

Nopales (Prickly Pear, great tasting pads work great raw in salads etc.)

Kiwano (heat and drought tolerant melon relative)

Okra (another great vegetable to grow in the hot and dry climates)

New Zealand Spinach (heat and drought tolerant)

Purslane (heat and drought tolerant)

Karizma, I think for the most part you shouldn't need to do much for tomatoes and peppers, like others said. But this year, I plan to keep some shade cloth on hand. We had that hot spell last summer in the Bay Area. My garden got up over 110 and it scorched my peppers and tomatoes. This year, when the forecast is up over 100, I'll put up a temporary shade cloth to protect them. I figure it's not going to hurt anything. What hurts is losing my best looking tomatoes and peppers to above-normal heat!

It's not as hot here as in Sacremento. We only had a few hot 100s days last year and the toms and eggplants loved it. I don't think I've ever lost any plants to the heat as long as the dripping irrigation is working. As a matter of fact, toms and eggplants fruits love warmer temperature. But toms and peppers will drop some blossoms in the heat.

I grow green onions/chives year round under a shade tree where it keeps cooler than 60/40 cloth.