5pm.

108 degrees exterior; off the charts in growing rack, 40% humidity.

This morning Matt tackled the as-yet-unattended areas of the yard.  Top:  Using Elliot Coleman’s broadfork.  Right:  Elliot Coleman’s curved-tine cultivator.  Both work much better than the digging fork and shovel, however we needed to water for several hours before anything would go into this very compacted dirt.  You can find both tools at Johnny’s (just don’t buy the GMO seeds there).

At 5pm I watered the wilty squash just enough to bring the root temperature down.  Nothing I’ve read tells me to, but empirically it seems to work.  And I do know that plants have their soil temperature limits.  I already watered in the morning, so I just focussed on a few key root areas.

Most beans are coming up - several new stragglers.  It’s been 24 days since I planted them.  Another cilantro coming up - 6 total (I planted about 20 seeds).  We lost the first oregano that was coming up.  Probably too hot.

Checked everything at 5pm and then left the house....