Raised garden beds
The bed is the easy part. Filling it is where the yards add up.
Size your project then pick a material on each shelf below. Your running total stays at the bottom of the screen and updates as you choose.
Total footprint of all beds: length and width in feet; set depth to the bed height. Odd shape? Add the rectangles, or enter total square feet as length with width 1.
A raised bed is only as good as the soil in it, and bagged soil gets expensive fast past one bed. Bulk organic garden mix by the cubic yard fills a 4 by 8 foot bed 12 inches deep for a fraction of the bagged price. Enter the total bed footprint and the bed height, and we figure the yards.
Garden soil
Bed height as the depth. Sold by the cubic yard.
Do not forget
How to build it
- Build or set the beds on level ground and line the bottom with cardboard, not fabric.
- Fill with garden mix to an inch below the rim; it settles.
- Water deeply once before planting.
- Top up with an inch of compost each season.
Questions
How much soil does a 4 by 8 raised bed take?
About 1.2 cubic yards at 12 inches deep, 1.8 yards at 18. Three beds is roughly 4 yards, which is why bulk beats bags.
Bulk soil or bagged?
Past one bed, bulk. A yard of garden mix is about 27 one-cubic-foot bags. Delivery is one charge for the whole load.
Can I fill the bottom with something cheaper?
For beds over 18 inches, yes: 6 inches of bark or wood chips at the bottom, garden mix on top. Under 18 inches, fill with soil.