Good advice above from Rick.
I'll only add that I'm also in zone 8b and my climate is probably pretty close to yours. This past weekend we started all our fall crops (broccoli, spinach, lettuce, etc) and they all germinated the very next day. We now have full trays of little seedlings. In 6 to 8 weeks they'll be ready for the ground, having gotten a good start. By that time we'll be getting into the time of year when things start to get cooler, perfect for transplanting to their final destination.
