Bad math

I've previously stated the size of my garden as being 120 sq ft. I've had a feeling I needed to measure again or at least do the math over. Seemed like it took up a lot of space and required a lot of work for only 120 sq ft. I didn't have to remeasure, just do the math. (In my defense, I'll say I've stated the measurements in many cases and nobody has corrected my calculations to date.) So, being 30 ft x 40 ft, it's not 120 sq ft, it's 1200 sq ft! Guess that explains a lot of why it takes so much work and it takes up almost 1/4 of my back yard, which is 6000 sq ft.

Still been struggling with getting tomatoes to grow. I get them started just fine, then when I try to harden them off, they die off. I finally figured it out. The containers heat up too fast in the sun. While to foliage loves sunlight, the roots have been getting too hot. Containers and raised beds heat up faster than the surrounding soil and don't cool down from air circulation, so the heat just builds up inside. I even transplanted some this evening, after the sun went down. The soil in the center (right around the roots) was still hot to touch. Not warm but hot. So, it would be best if I placed them in larger containers. And I need to forget the structured mounds and raised beds or construct shelters for them. Right now, testing with a small partial shelter over one mound, made of three pallets. Not nailed together or anything, so I hope the wind doesn't get crazy tonight or tomorrow. Want to see how the plants do in that mound.

Added vermiculite to part of the yard and garden this evening. Plus Ironite to much of the area. Part of the garden is rather hard clay soil and not doing well. I've read that desert soil tends to lack iron. I'll see how it all does soon, I guess.

My daughter helped me harvest the few remaining peas yesterday. Saving them for later planting. Then I pulled the vines, breaking them off at ground level, leaving the root nodules in place. Roots are where the bacteria colonize which help anchor N in the soil. As I pulled, I handed the vines to my daughter and she fed them to the bunnies. She had fun watching them eat entire vines and the bunnies enjoyed the meal. Happy kid, happy bunnies. Can't ask for much more than that!

Now I have more space clear for planting summer crops. Things have been picking up and I have several pumpkin and melon vines growing rather well, as well as some green bean and cucumber plants. Several corn plants have crowned. Hope that's good, since they're as tall as my waist at most.