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DFW bro here. Life is getting busy again working 6 days a week, protesting taxes, repairing a water leak, birthdays and mothers day...
Anyway I built 3 more beds in the sunny part of my yard. The size of my tomato plants compared to my girlfriends is quite obvious, hers being full sun mine being practically full shade. Beans don't seem to give a shit but they get more light, maybe an hour in the morning, some scattered light during the day, then an hour or two at dusk. The 3 new beds will get an hour or two in the morning, get shaded until about noon, then light until 6 or 7. That's the best I can do without maiming my tree. I chopped off a low branch about 8" in diameter. I can scalp the tree on that one side, I don't give a shit, but they're big limbs and they are high and I live by myself and it overhangs a fence.
Need to fill the new beds with soil and sow my corn, beans, and whatever the feed store has left over. Starter plants were $1/ea 2 months ago, now they're 4 for $1. My first 3 beds were 100% bulk compost. Not sure if I should go this route or do 1/3 top soil. Each bed is 1cuyd. I can't really comment on the performance of the compost as I have nothing to compare it to and yah... shade. I'm not an organic person, not afraid to use fertilizer. I have heard plenty of success stories of straight compost but am also fighting battles in my current garden.
