Vent: My raised bed garden looked amazing for 2 weeks then everything died

I put in these cedar raised beds last spring, spent like $150 on soil and mulch, and the first 2 weeks my tomatoes and peppers looked incredible. Then out of nowhere they all turned yellow and wilted. Turns out I didn't mix in enough compost and the soil was too compacted. Has anyone else had their plants go south fast after a great start?

2 comments

2 Comments

danielh811mo ago

Yeah I used to think you could just throw any old soil mix in there and call it good. But after my first raised bed failed the exact same way, I started looking into it more. @blairwhite is right about the perlite and sand, I started adding both and it made a huge difference. The roots really do need that loose stuff to spread out and actually breathe. Now I never skip the extra steps before planting and my stuff actually lasts more than a couple weeks.

blairwhite1mo ago

You really need to fluff up that soil before planting, especially in a raised bed. Mix in some perlite or coarse sand along with your compost to keep it from getting rock hard when it dries out. Compacted soil makes it so the roots can't breathe or get water right, and then everything just crashes. Try adding a layer of mulch on top too, it helps keep the moisture even so you aren't drowning or starving your plants.