screwed? or can I bring it back?!

I just made this raised bed for my rootbounded plants and filled it up with a fertile blend I bought from a local soil spot. My dumbass didn't realize the soil, which was chicken manure, rice hulls, and grape seed compost had little to very weak water retaining qualities. Its damn near sand, I didn't think much of it until I waterEd the soil and the water just ran down, against the soil and not into it. Plants looking droppier and sadder with everyday. I did put a shit load of perlite and worm castings. The plants were originally in 3 gallon pots with fox farm until I thought it was a good idea to move them in the bed. What are my options to save them?? I'm also wondering why the top of my other plant appears lighter than the others.

are you using a moisture meter to check for sure that the soil is not getting moist?

in an outside grow dehydration should not be a problem.

those plants look exactly how they are supposed to when they get watered, and it looks like there is water at their bases

I am not but i'm sure the dirt I have needs to be watered before I put them back in. I took them out delicately with a pitch fork today and moved them back in the 3 gallons. Their leaves were folding like tacos so I figured they were dehydrated..in that picture, the bed was watered right before I took the pic and the day before I had watered them as well. Isn't that too often for an outdoor grow. I think the soil is drying up way too fast..is there anything I can add to this soil to fix that problem?

It could have been garden-variety (!) transplant shock. How was the soil around/under them? cn

transplant 2 x in a short time has stressed the fuck out of them. slow down, get a grip on yourself and we will try to help.

i also agree you probably shoulda left them and maybe made a little wall around the base of the plants with wood, metal, soil. For my raised bed i just used the existing soil and made a nice little wall and just water in that, It makes a little lake right around the base of my plant so i know it gets watered. Not sure if that made sense, Pretty high.

Good luck, Happy growing, Stay high!

Thanks hilltop, the way I planted the plants created a hill like terrain so the water just skid down to the corners. Thanks hilltop.for that idea! Hope it works. I gave the bed a good water but its like mud clumps and even the mid level of dirt had dust coming from it. I'll water the bed again tomorrow and gave the ladies some drinks.water and grow_micro_bloom at half the dose.hope they feel bettersoon.

UPDATE: plants doing much better. Some nutes and water did the trick but what about this flowerbed. The drainingproperties sure sucks fat ones. Is there anything I can add so water can actually drain instead of creating this mud/lake?

I'd get alot of perlite, Most nurseries or grow stores should have them is 45 liter bags. At my shop they are 25 bucks for a bag about the size of a 30 gallon trash bag full.

Or sand will also work, but perlite would be the best choice IMO.

If you could your best bet (and your ladies will thank you for it) would be to dig out the existing soil, Atleast where you wanna plant and add garden soil. Legit garden soil, Doesn't have to be expensive foxfarm, roots organic, Whatever. If you live near a homedepot "supersoil" is the soil i started out with and would not hesitate to go back if i couldn't get foxfarm. Glad things worked out bro.

Good luck, Happy growing, Stay high!

Three suggestions:
good compost
coco (better than sphagnum!)
some gypsum ... it breaks up sodic clays
cn

I threw 50 gallons of perlite in that bed but they just Get swallowed up and disappear lol. I'm trying to avoid sand because the woke bed is like quick sand/cement mix like. There is a shit load of sand. I wanna add something that allows drainage and something that retain water. But those are opposite needs xD

I have a girl here my cat ate about half of... If I can save her nothing is impossible.

Holy shit id beat that pussy up. Haha my dog takes pisses on my plants and it Burns some of the leaves xD