Well, number one: 26 inches of rain is a lot. Number two: Probably you have clay soil which does not drain well. Number three: the plastic it retaining the moisture longer( soil is not airing and not letting the water to evaporate. I belive that the soil needs to breath just we do. And that is why the hoe the garden(between and around the plants) to get some air into the soil. That is why I am against using plastics of any kind. I would rather use thick layer of mulch.

Thanks. I knew there was some risk posting this here as I read a lot of people are against it. I am confident this year had we not at least gone raised beds we would have a 3/4 acer mud lot full of weeds. I haven't been able to get a tiller into the field for a month. I do respect others opinions and appreciate the reply. In our situation we already bring in hundreds of dollars of organic compost to blend into the clay soil and this part of the farm doesn't justify further expenditure for mulch. So it is my lot.

There is never a "risk" posting here....unless you are a jerk who doesn't listen to anyone else! And there have been plenty! LOL Nancy

I don't intend to be that guy Nancy. I have been growing crops for years and I learn something I diddnt know all the time! The plasticulture is new to us. My parents in their age are unable to keep up with the weeds in a total of an acer and a fourth of garden. They however need the procedes to help cover their bills. So I built a beder and got the plastic and drip tape to cover it all. That much was a success, but in years past drought was our issue. This year we catch every storm that rolls through. I have been weed eating between the rows because we can't till. I drained the fields tonight with the track loader in an attempt to get the surface water out. Everything looked really good until this week. Went swimming last week to pick!

The raised beds may be what saves your crops - or some of them anyway. But they'll need quick-acting fertilizer. The rain will have washed a lot of the nutrients and good stuff away.

We can do that, I have fertigation set up to inject . What would be the best to help these recover?

weirdtrev: the Southeast has been inundated with rain. This past week alone we've had over 6 inches of rain in my neck of the woods :)

We have never seen rain like this, the area 20 miles from us received 5.5 inches in one day. We only got around 3 that day. I don't have a rain gague at my house. My figures are just by what the local news says and the old guy down the road. Regardless my raised beds are soaked.

Well I think the worry is over. The tomato beds went from water soaked to a semi dry crust today. The beans are still not looking great yet but the beds are drying. I was really sweating it for a few days. Last night draining must have helped. At this rate we will be watering again by the weekend.