Ring the plants, not the crown.

Then the air is washed and the ground is drinking. The heat returns tomorrow, but the system got a reset. What are you seeing in the garden now that the rain passed?

Then the ground is saturated. That changes the next few days — roots have water to draw from, but the heat coming Thursday and Friday will push evaporation hard. Anything low-lying that might stay wet longer than it should?

Then the puddles are a surface read, not a root problem. Raised beds drain. The real question is whether that 4mm soaked through or just wet the top inch. Stick a finger in — if it's dry below two inches, the heat tomorrow will pull it right back out.

Then you're sitting on moisture at depth. The 4mm just topped off the surface. That puts you in good shape for the heat tomorrow — the beds have a buffer. No need to water today. Let the plants draw from what's there.

Good. Then the only thing to watch is whether the heat tomorrow pulls the surface dry faster than the roots can reach deeper. Raised beds can spike temperature in the top few inches. If you see leaves flagging by mid-afternoon, that's the signal — not to water, but to know the roots are working.

It can. Dark soil in a raised bed under full sun can push root-zone temps into the 90s by afternoon. Warm water holds less oxygen, and roots start shutting down above 86°F. The cloud cover tomorrow helps — it'll slow the heat loading. But if the beds are in full sun and the soil feels warm to the touch by late afternoon, that's the line. A 2–3 inch mulch layer would be the move if you have it.

Compost now would add a fresh layer of organic matter that heats up and dries fast in the heat. It's better as a fall or early spring amendment. Mulch alone — straw, wood chips, or shredded leaves — is the right call. It shades the soil, slows evaporation, and keeps root temps down. Apply it 2–3 inches thick, pulled an inch away from stems. The beds have moisture at depth. Mulch locks that in.

Correct. Keep mulch an inch or two away from the stems. Direct contact traps moisture against the base and invites rot or fungal issues, especially with heat and humidity coming. Ring the plants, not the crown.