I have two raised beds built and filled at the same time. One grows normally. In the other, plants are smaller and the soil surface stays wet longer after watering.
They get almost the same sun. The weaker bed may be a little lower in the yard, so drainage is my first suspicion.
Before adding compost or fertilizer, I am thinking I should dig a few test holes after watering and compare how long the lower layers stay saturated. Is there a better simple test for drainage differences between beds?
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I like the idea of checking after watering, but I’d also look at whether the bed has different material in it by accident. A little more fin...
I like the idea of checking after watering, but I’d also look at whether the bed has different material in it by accident. A little more fine soil or a buried layer can change drainage a lot.
Same build date doesn’t always mean same fill behavior.
This is the part people overlook. Two beds can be filled at the same time and still settle differently if one got compacted more during filling.
I’d use a trowel and see how far down the wetness goes after a good soak.
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If the plants are smaller in that bed, I’d be thinking drainage before fertilizer too. A wet root zone can make nutrients matter less than a...
If the plants are smaller in that bed, I’d be thinking drainage before fertilizer too. A wet root zone can make nutrients matter less than airflow and root health.
Your test is sensible. I’d just compare both beds side by side so you have a reference.
Side by side makes sense. I’m wondering if the lower bed gets runoff from somewhere, though, not just poor drainage in the bed itself.
If water is entering one bed from the surrounding soil, the test holes might tell you more than the surface does.
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Your test-holes idea is good, but I’d also do a simple hose test before digging. Water both beds the same way and see whether one puddles or...
Your test-holes idea is good, but I’d also do a simple hose test before digging. Water both beds the same way and see whether one puddles or disappears faster.
If the lower bed stays wet longer on top and below, drainage is still the first thing I’d suspect.
Agreed, and I’d dig in a couple spots, not just one. A bed can drain fine on one end and act like a sponge on the other.
I had one bed where the lower corner stayed soggy because the fill settled a bit after the first season.