So,
To set up the scene I am newly in charge of a long neglected community garden in Central Tx, zone 8b with around 38in or rain per year with hot humid summers and cool mild winters. All of the beds in the garden I inherited are wicking beds that had been filled with commercial potting soil many years ago. After many years of neglect the soil in all the beds have settled by 6-8 inches into the gravel underneath, which leaves the surface of the soil just barely above the drain level (and the drains are clogged with grass). Digging out all the beds or even a few of them simply isn't an option due to time, labor, and financial constraints.
The only answer I've been able to come up with is to build the soil level back up to give myself some growing room above the anaerobic zone and monitor closely how much the beds are watered. What I have available to me is: the native soil which is derived from a thick red clay, the compost pile of reject plants and potting soil from a nearby commercial greenhouse, and an ongoing supply of composted horse manure.
My main question here is what would you, my permie friends, try to grow in these beds with these conditions? I will be in charge of this community garden's planting and fertility regimen for the foreseeable future so anything that grows is a possibility.
Thanks!
