Raised bed is a slow drainer!

[rigardengal]

My very first post!! I recently have begun my very first raised vegetable garden. Before this year, I did container gardening, and now that I have gained the confidence, I've moved up and on!!!

The garden is 16' X 4', framed into 4 sections. The soil consists of existing soil from the plot selected, mixed with loam and composted matter. The soil is rather course, and packs tightly.

I have planted sugar snap peas, pole beans, and green onion seeds. I've also added nursery plants such as tomato, bell peppers, eggplant, broccoli, and lettuces. The seeds have been in the ground for 8 days and the plants for about 4 days. No seedlings have emerged as of yet.

Here's my problem. When I water, or when it rains, puddles will form at the surface(I realize there are some un-even areas causing puddling). Eventually, the water will drain, but I'm concerned with heavier rains and/or what will happen to my seeds.

So, I ask, is there anything I can do with my soil, without disturbing what has already been planted. I've inspected the soil by hand, and it seams tightly compacted. Please help this novice gardener!!

Thank you!

[Jess]

Hi

Tightly compacted suggests a high clay content and not enough humus. In the short term you need worms!
These can be purchased if you don't fancy scrabbling around in the rest of your garden. Add more humus to areas around the seed you have planted and to encourage the worms you do have to the surface try and lay a bit of newspaper under the humus first. This seems to draw them up. You could also try used coffee grounds. This also draw worms to the surface thus aerating the soil.
In the long term add as much humus as you can to the surface, during the autumn and winter months especially, when the plot is lying dormant to break up the clay particles and make the soil more workable.
Hope that helps.

[opabinia51]

Just to add on... in the fall add as many leaves as you can to the plot along with some manure and used coffee grinds. This will turn into rich humus. Don't add more manure or coffee grind than leaves or it wills start to smell.

You can also add sawdust with manure as well. Though, leaves are much much better.

[rigardengal]

Thanks for the humus suggestion. Will peat moss worked into the soil, especially problematic areas work? Only around the established plants. I'm sure I shouldn't do this around the seeds just planted.

[cynthia_h]

Personally, I would steer away from peat b/c it tends to be hydrophobic (I.e., it sheds--rather than absorbs--water). You *can* get peat to absorb water, but in clay soil, it probably won't be all that helpful.

I fought with clay soil in Berkeley for a long time and now have a raised bed per Square Foot Gardening recommendations.

The above recommendations for leaves, compost, coffee, etc., sound terrific to me! Because, of course, they're what I'm already doing....

Cynthia H.
El Cerrito, CA
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17

[opabinia51]

Some alternatives to peat are cocoa bean hulls, mulched leaves, sawdust and so on.

Always add with a nitrogen source like manure, coffee grounds, grass clippings and so on.

[cynthia_h]

Just to be sure I've posted this at least twice...

Cocoa bean hulls are TOXIC to dogs and cats. If you use them in your garden/compost/plants, whether as mulch or something else, please make sure that no dogs or cats can get to them.

The odor is incredibly attractive to dogs, esp., so please use caution.

Cynthia H.
El Cerrito, CA
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17

[opabinia51]

Thanks for the heads up Cynthia. What source did you find their toxicity from?

[cynthia_h]

https://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp contains a discussion about the toxicity of cocoa-bean mulch.

This product was evidently sold at Home Depot in Spring 2003 and many questions arose.

"Snopes" (known as Internet myth busters) discusses the case of one Labrador Retriever whose fate confirmed the toxicity of such mulch.

Cynthia H.
El Cerrito, CA
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17

[Jess]

Just to be sure I've posted this at least twice...

Cocoa bean hulls are TOXIC to dogs and cats. If you use them in your garden/compost/plants, whether as mulch or something else, please make sure that no dogs or cats can get to them.

The odor is incredibly attractive to dogs, esp., so please use caution.

Cynthia H.
El Cerrito, CA
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17

Cats too Cynthia? I knew dogs but had no idea cats as well. I have not used it and now will never use it. How can you control where a cat goes? I have a cat but even if I didn't several neighbours cats come through my garden.