Garden Soil Calculator
Stop guessing at the garden center. Calculate the exact volume of potting soil, compost, or topsoil required to fill your raised beds.
Raised Bed Soil Calculator
Calculate exact soil volume needed for your garden beds and pots.
Total Soil Needed
How to Calculate Raised Bed Soil Volume
Calculating the amount of soil needed for a raised bed is a straightforward volume calculation: Length × Width × Depth. However, mixing units (like a bed that is 8 feet long but 10 inches deep) makes the math complicated. Our calculator standardizes the units automatically.
Buying Soil: Bulk vs Bags
Depending on how much soil you need, you will either buy it in bags from a garden center or have it delivered in bulk by a landscape company.
- Bulk Soil is sold in Cubic Yards. One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. You usually need at least 1-2 cubic yards to justify a bulk delivery.
- Bagged Soil is sold in Cubic Feet (ft³) or Liters (L). A standard large bag of potting soil is about 1.5 to 2.0 cubic feet (or ~40-50 Liters).
The Ideal Raised Bed Mix
If you are filling a new raised bed, do not use 100% topsoil, as it will compact and drain poorly. A classic and highly successful recipe is "Mel's Mix" from Square Foot Gardening:
- 1/3 Peat Moss or Coco Coir: For moisture retention.
- 1/3 Vermiculite or Perlite: For aeration and drainage.
- 1/3 Blended Compost: For nutrients. (Try to mix at least 3 different sources of compost).