Raised beds eat through soil faster than you'd think. A single 4x8 bed can swallow 20+ bags. Punch in your bed dimensions here and get the exact cubic footage and bag count before you load up the truck.
Bed Dimensions
ft
ft
Fill Depth
in
Scenario: You have a 4 ft x 8 ft raised bed that's 12 inches deep.
Result: Volume: 4 x 8 x 1 = 32 cubic feet. That's about 22 bags of 1.5 cu ft garden soil, or 1.2 cubic yards if ordering in bulk.
32 cubic feet at 12 inches deep. That works out to about 22 bags of 1.5 cu ft bagged soil, or 1.2 cubic yards if you're ordering bulk delivery. At 6 inches deep, halve those numbers.
Mix 60% topsoil, 30% compost, and 10% perlite or coarse sand. Pre-mixed 'raised bed soil' from garden centers is a solid option too. Stay away from straight potting mix in large beds because it dries out fast and gets expensive at volume.
Not if they're deeper than 12 inches. Fill the bottom third with logs, branches, and leaves (the hugelkultur method), then top with soil. You'll save money and get better drainage. For beds 12 inches or shallower, fill the whole thing with soil mix.
6-12 inches handles most vegetables. Root crops like carrots and potatoes want at least 12 inches. Herbs and lettuce do fine in 6 inches.
Want to learn more before you start your project?
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