Update on the project. I watered for the first time today. It hit 100 and about 25-30% of the plants started showing heat stress, a couple fairly severe. The soil isn't completely dry, but the plants perked right up from the watering, more I think due to cooling the air a bit, than actually needing the water. So far no plants died from the heat but fruit set is pretty low, even for the sungold f1s. All in all the plants are doing far better than the neighbor's who doesn't use mulches, does use miracle grow and waters heavily. They are about 2-5 times bigger and showing less stress. My other neighbor who has used lasagna methods for several years now are doing even better. So it is pretty much as I expected for year 1 considering the late start from an unusual spring.
The mulch is getting a bit thin from all the bioactivity and new grass has sprouted from using hay with a high seed content. But it is reasonably low and actually seems to have provided some shade/respiration benefit from the sun and heat because the tomatoes with no volunteer grasses at all around them are generally smaller, more heat stressed, and have not as yet set any fruit. One section (about 10' of the 30' row) I did with no weed barrier at all had too much grass grow and I have had to weed it 3 times so far. Bermudas!
I did loose one plant to gophers, and one other set back from damaged roots due to the same gophers.
I replanted the dead tomato plant and put peanut butter flavored poison in their tunnels. Then I did my best to warn them away with stinky organic "repellent". If they ignore the repellent and come anyway, they will find poison waiting on them.
