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Don’t stress out in the garden and still work yourself out calculating how much soil you need for your garden beds or raised beds. Use this dirt or soil calculator for your garden dirt calculations.
This garden bed dirt calculator has raised garden soil calculator, garden bed calculator and also suffices for potted plants/urns. You just need to select from the options which type of garden you have and input the numbers required, you will get the exact amount of soil/dirt you need depending on which kind of garden you have.
Garden Dirt/Soil Calculator for Raised Bed, Flat and Potted Gardens
Use the Calculator below to find the right quantity of soil, garden dirt or potting mix you need for your garden.
How do I Calculate How Much Garden Soil I Need?
To calculate the amount of garden soil or dirt you need, understand that garden beds, container gardens, and potted plants have different ways to calculate the amount of soil needed.
We’ll use examples to show how to calculate soil quantity with our garden soil calculator and different scenarios for garden beds, raised bed gardens, and potted plants.
How do I calculate how much soil I need for a raised bed?
To calculate the amount of soil needed for a raised garden bed, measure the length, width, and height of the bed in meters. Multiply these dimensions together to find the volume in cubic meters (m³).
If your bed’s dimensions are in centimeters, first convert them to meters. Use the formula:
Volume (m³) = Length (m) × Width (m) × Height (m)
For example, a raised garden bed that is 2 meters long, 1 meter wide, and 0.3 meters high requires: 2m × 1m × 0.3m = 0.6 m³.
So, you need 0.6 cubic meters of soil. To convert this to liters, multiply by 1000, resulting in 600 liters of soil.
Use the following steps to get the accurate amount of soil you need for a raised bed garden with our calculator:
- Pick your desired measurement unit. We have feet-inches and meters.
- Select “Raised Bed Garden” from the “Choose garden type option“.
- Input the Number of Raised Beds, Raised Bed Garden Width, Length, and depth.
- The soil/dirt/material amount you need will be automatically calculated by our extra-fast calculator with the corresponding unit.
The process is the same for other garden types.
How Much Soil is Needed for an 8×4 Raised Bed?
Say we use the ideal depth of a raised bed garden which is 1 foot (12 inches), Let’s use our calculator to find out how much soil is needed for an 8×4 feet raised or container bed.
- Select “feet-inches” as the measurement.
- input “1” in the “number of raised beds” field, 8 as length and 4 as width.
- Type in the ideal depth of 1 feet. You don’t need to click enter or submit and you immediately get “0.099 cubic yards of soil“. This is just the amount of soil you need for this measurement of garden yard.
What is the best size for a raised bed?
Width
The width of the raised bed should be such that you can easily reach the middle from either side without stepping into the bed. So, this means a width of about 3 to 4 feet (90 to 120 cm). This width allows for easy access to all areas of the bed for planting, weeding, and harvesting.
Length
Go all out on how you want for the length depending on space. Common lengths are 4 feet (1.2 meters) to 8 feet (2.4 meters) or more. Longer beds are more space-efficient.
How deep should a raised garden bed be?
A depth of 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) is okay for most veggies. For root vegetables like carrots or poor-quality underlying soil, use a depth of 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm). The deeper, the better the drainage.
Height
If you want to make gardening easier on your back and knees, elevate the bed to a comfortable height. Common elevated heights range from 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 cm) or even higher based on your height.
Pathways
If you’re planning multiple raised beds, create pathways of 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm) to accommodate garden carts and wheelbarrows.
How Much Soil is in a Bag?
Soil bags come in various sizes, usually measured in cubic feet. The average bag contains 25–30 liters, roughly equivalent to 1 cubic foot, though larger bags up to 2 cubic feet are also available. For instance, a 40 lb bag of topsoil usually holds around 0.75 cubic feet of soil.
Bags of soil come in the following sizes below;
- 1 cubic foot (approx. 28.3 liters)
- 1.5 cubic feet (approx. 42.5 liters)
- 2 cubic feet (approx. 56.6 liters)
- 3 cubic feet (approx. 85 liters)
What is a Good Garden Soil Ratio?
I recommend soil mix for raised garden beds is known as the “Mel’s Mix“, which consists of the following:
- 1/3 Compost: You can use a variety of composts, such as homemade compost, mushroom compost, or commercially available blends.
- 1/3 Peat Moss or Coconut Coir: These improve soil structure, retain moisture, and provide aeration. Peat moss is traditional, but coconut coir is more sustainable and eco-friendly.
- 1/3 Vermiculite or Perlite: These are lightweight materials that help with soil drainage and aeration. They prevent soil compaction and improve the soil’s ability to retain moisture.
If your soil has a lot of clay, increase the amount of compost and add more sand to improve drainage. For sandy soils, increase the amount of peat moss or coconut coir to help with water retention.
How Much will 50 Liters of Compost Cover?
The coverage area of 50 liters of compost depends on the depth at which you spread it. This is the coverage for different depths:
- 1 cm deep: Covers approximately 5 square meters.
- 2 cm deep: Covers approximately 2.5 square meters.
- 3 cm deep: Covers approximately 1.67 square meters.
- 5 cm deep: Covers approximately 1 square meter.
To calculate the coverage for any depth, use the following formula:
Coverage area = Volume (liters) / Depth (cm)
How many 25l bags of soil are in a cubic meter?
1 cubic meter (m³) = 1000 liters (L). Now, divide the total liters in a cubic meter by the volume of one bag:
Number of bags = 1000 L / 25 L(Per bag) = 40 bags. So, there are 40 bags of 25 liters of soil in a cubic meter.
Can I Use Potting Soil in Raised Garden Beds?
Yes, you can use potting soil in raised garden beds, but it is not the best choice. Potting soil is for containers and pots, its ingredients are peat moss, perlite, and other lightweight components to enhance drainage and aeration.
For raised garden beds, a mix specifically designed for gardens is better. A good option is to use a combination of garden soil, compost, and organic matter like peat moss or coconut coir, to ensure good drainage, nutrient retention, and soil structure.
How Do I Determine the Right Soil Mix for Potted Plants?
- For General Houseplants: Use a standard potting mix.
- For Succulents and Cacti: Use a cactus/succulent mix, which has more sand or perlite to ensure excellent drainage.
- For Orchids: Use a special orchid mix that includes bark, perlite, and charcoal to provide good air circulation and drainage.
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