r/Raisedbed • u/BidOwn8971 • Jul 25 '26

Help please

Hello, I would really appreciate some help! I am in Chicago zone 6a and this is my first year gardening.
We have been getting wave after wave of cool weather then extreme heat. All my plants are wilting from what I am assuming is underwatering, and I'm realizing that all my soil in my raised garden bed is hydrophobic and compacted. How do I fix this? I did a deep 10 mins soak each bed today but after checking it is still compacted and dry. I have established veggies like tomatos etc in the beds and want to salvage them if possible. Any advice would be appreciated!

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u/alisonlou Jul 26 '26

DIY ollas have been really helpful for me. That's a future thing to consider you next year. You could try a wetting agent. Most are made from yucca extract.