Okay, started out my first year of gardening with what was supposed to be a 4x4x10 raised bed, husband made 4x4x20. Plants did not do well at all. Made husband chop that one down to 4x4x10 (like I had wanted originally lol) and am redoing that box.

Now, here is my dilemma. The box had cardboard for the first layer with the weed fabric over it. Then purchased plain top soil, HD soil conditioner and perlite mixed together. Today I was trying to decide what to do with the original soil, as I was working it and realized the bottom several inches is just mud. The top several inches, dried out, cracked dirt. Obviously a drainage problem but I thought having a raised bed would solved that. It is the cardboard, the soil iself? I don't want to make the same mistake again. Thanks so much for the help! (And I'm so sorry this is so long)