Last Hope For A Newb Outdoor Desert Grow

Hello, apologies in advance for the profound and pervasive ignorance forthcoming. 
 
I have just attempted and failed my first attempt at growing.  Of the ten seeds I began with (feminized autoflowers from Royal Queen, and I'm sure the seeds didn't fail, I did), only one survives and I do not believe it will yield.  
 
I germinated them in damp paper, then planted them in "moisture control timed-release plantfood enriched" potting soil in holes that I dug in the desert, in mid March.  Temperature highs during the day that month were around 70 F, and lows at night were around 40 F (I believe that was my first mistake, planting this early, the cold may have stunted their growth)?  I watered, perhaps too much.  
 
*Note*  I live alone in a trailer in the deep desert with no running water or power lines.  I have a small solar array to power my laptop and uplink, but otherwise no utilities.  My water source is ten miles away and I am on foot.  The nearest town is twice as far as that.  My ex-wife makes supply runs every six months to bring me a bag of rice and any inexpensive supplies I request.  
 
Project history: 
 
2 seeds failed to germinate.  
 
4 seeds germinated, but failed to sprout in soil.  I believe I drowned them in water when I planted them or planted them too deep.  
 
1 seed germinated but was beheaded by a lizard or rabbit as a seedling.  After this, I surrounded the plants with chicken wire, and although this prevented total destruction by rabbit, the smaller lizards could penetrate the wire.
 
1 seed germinated, but grew stunted, no more than four inches at two months of growth.  It developed an encroaching rust coloration on its leaves and died with no yield.
 
1 seed germinated, grew stunted, and was torn to shreds by the wind.  Died in week six, no yield.
 
1 seed germinated, has grown stunted but slightly better than others, but a lizard stripped its lower leaves and chewed the main stem causing severe damage.  It survives, but has no yield in week ten.  I believe it may have attempted to flower, but the damage from the animals, wind, and (I think) the cold has left it stunted (still not five inches) and although it lives, it does not appear to be developing in any way.  Since it is an "auto-flower", I believe it will soon die as it cannot fund its energy requirements with its remaining leaves, it is not growing larger or replacing lost leaves, and I don't believe it will have accumulated sufficient metaoblic resources to flower.  I had named it "Hope".  It will soon die. 
 
Some colleagues of mine I used to work with have taken pity and have arranged for me to have eight more seeds (although they haven't shown yet, so I'm growing very concerned), all "fast growing" feminized autoflowering seeds.  I am wondering if I should have also obtained some non-autoflowering seeds to plant in July/August and harvest in October when the natural light will be declining enough to hopefully induce flowering in a photocyclic strain. 
 
If the seeds ever do arrive, if I plant them in late May/early June, overnight lows should not be below 50 F.  Daily high should be between 75-90 F.  
 
I have obtained some small portable vegetable growing kits with small plastic covers and little disks of growing pete/soil.  I'm also getting a small plastic-covered greenhouse that I can buttress against the wind with metal posts and cinderblocks.  
 
My question is this:  Am I wasting my time?  Will this ever grow here?  I slaughtered ten seeds with my ignorance, thinking foolishly I could just plant them in potting soil, water them, and two or three months later I'd have what I need.  
 
Was March too cold at night?  Did the wind kill my plants?  Were the animals inevitably going to butcher my crop? 
 
If so, will planting now, in May, make a difference?  Will protecting them in the greenhouse solve the problem?
 
Again, I'm sorry for my ignorance.  I'm out of options.  If I can't make this work, I will have exhausted my plausible scenarios.  Thank you.