How much garden soil do you need?
Enter the length, width and depth of your raised bed. You get cubic yards, tons and truck loads of garden soil.
You need about
0 cubic yards
0tons
Add your truck size to see loads
for this job
How this was worked out
Assumes garden soil at 0.9 tons per cubic yard. Soil weighs more or less with its mix and the water in it, so ask your supplier for their number.
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About garden soil
Garden soil is screened topsoil blended with compost, sometimes with sand added so it drains. The compost makes it lighter and darker than plain topsoil and feeds what grows in it. Raised beds usually take 8 to 12 inches of it.
More about garden soil
Suppliers mix their own blends, so garden soil from two yards can look and act quite different. A common mix runs about two or three parts topsoil to one part compost. Ask for the ratio, and squeeze a handful: it should hold together, then break apart when poked.
Fill a raised bed to the top and water it in. The blend drops as the air spaces close and the compost breaks down, so expect to add a few inches over the first season. For an in-ground bed, loosen the ground below first and work 2 to 3 inches of garden soil into it rather than laying a thick layer on hard clay.
Because it holds more water than plain topsoil, a load bought wet can weigh a lot more than 0.9 tons a yard. Bagged garden soil is the same idea in small amounts. Once a bed passes about a cubic yard, a bulk load is usually the easier way to get it there.