I couldn't get the picture up. Do you think that there is a lot of peat moss in that mix? That might contribute to slow drainage.

Have you seen Kimmsrs soil test ... put some soil in a glass jar with water, shake, and watch it settle out .... the various materials will separate as they settle ...the link below has his stardard tests for soil.

You might experiment with using CHEAP kitty litter to increase drainage. Or get a bag of sand from Lowes or HD ... mix into some of the soil mix and see how it drains. But do kimmsrs test to get a better idea of just what is in your soil.

Here is a link that might be useful: scroll down to post by kimmsr

How deep is the new soil? I do see the crack on the surface.

If the new soil was placed over the clay then drainage is bound to be poor. 2-3 hrs dampness does not seem excessive to me. Many bought soils contain peat to retain moisture. Is it diggable a couple of days after watering?

Even tho a wholesaler supplied the soil, he should have some specs on it. The first thing I would do is call & ask. You might also post the name of the supplier here to see if anyone here has experience with their products.

The two things I have learned never to add to my adobe/clay are sand and peat. I love nitrogen reinforced redwood (slow to break down), dry leaves, & perlite after I've removed 4-5 inches. I dig those as deep as my shovel allows with a sprinkling of granular fertilizer, soak, dig again a week later & repeat this during 3 months before planting. Each year as organics break down, more are added. The beds I did this way are wonderful after 10 years.

If you google clay soil test you will see several easy home tests. There is also a soils forum here with knowledgeable folks.

Answering iris_gal's questions:

The raised bed is 24 inches high. we did not use our existing soul in the bottom. To improve drainage, we put 3 inches of 3/4 inch gravel at the bottom of the bed and then the soil went on the top about 18 inches. Around 3 yards of soil went into the bed.

The name of the supplier is "California Soil Products" based in Fontana, CA. The owner is not really specific about the specs of the soil.

The water stayed on the top layer of the soil. we tested the lower soil levels by digging with hand, it's dry.

I have started the clay soil test at home, waiting for results.

Our clay soil here isn't bad, it just drains poorly. I use it 50/50 with well composted organic matter that I get for free down in San Pedro (on Gaffey). Raised beds have been what's allowed me to get better crops and get the nitrogen level closer to what it needs to be and to lower the pH to around 7.0, so I would say you've taken most of the right steps. But for the life of me I can't figure out what's going in your pics. I would suggest avoiding peat or gravel and focusing on using FULLY composted leaf mold, bark and manure with some of your native dirt. It's also a good time to mix organic fertilizers into the raised bed.

It sounds like peat moss. That stuff is very hard to wet. I don't like it much, because once I finally get it wet, it stays soggy. It seems like it's always either bone dry or sopping wet.

You might call around and see if you can get mushroom compost to add to your peat moss. If you mix it with the peat, it will wet better and drain better.

It does look like lots of peat is in the mix. Once you get it evenly moist and then don't let it completely dry out again, I think it will be OK. It does not look like clay to me. If this soil is 24 inches above your native soil, the excess water will not have to drain through your native soil, unless your wooden box was dug into your native soil. It looks like the wood used is untreated pine or fir, mostly sapwood and will not likely have a long life with soil contact. Al

I looked at the photos and I see a big crack, and that means clay to me. But, I think you can add lots of organic matter. Clay is supposed to good soil. But, you may have to remove some of it, to make room to add all the organic you would need. That's so much work or you can just go with a new soil. I added a lot of organics to my raised bed, but it was too much and the plants are not doing well, so I am trying to fix by adding more non organics. There should be a balance between organic and non organic material. You may have to experiment and discover what works.

Hosenemesis & Calistoga both great gardeners & if they suspect peat, peat it probably is.

In reading about the ideal soil, 1/3 clay, 1/3 sand, 1/3 silt is considered near perfect.

Be interested in hearing results of your test.