How much soil?
Use inside dimensions and your fill depth, then convert the result into bags or a bulk order.
Calculate soil volumePlan your raised bed garden. How much soil do I need?
Worked out in bags below, then which bed fits and the watering parts that go together.
Example: a bed 8 × 4 ft inside, 12 in of soil
22bags of 1.5 ft³ soil
or mix your own: 15 topsoil+8 compost
Bag size, ft³
32cubic feet of soil
1.2cubic yards
2,600 lbabout, as topsoil
- About 2,600 lb: 3 trips in a vehicle with 1,250 lb of room after its driver, or one delivered load.
- 1.2 cubic yards in bulk. Suppliers’ minimum loads run 1 to 5 yards, so get one delivered quote before buying 22 bags.
12 in of soil: room for carrots and most crops. On open ground, roots carry on into the soil below the bed. Depth by crop
At other bag sizes: 43 of 0.75 ft³ · 32 of 1 ft³ · 22 of 1.5 ft³ · 16 of 2 ft³ · 11 of 3 ft³
Bed 1: 12 in of soil.
Weight uses Sands and Soils screened topsoil at 2,200 lb a cubic yard. Choose another material in Soil order.
Measure the inside of the bed
Choose a bed to start with
Soil depth is the inside height less the space you leave empty at the top for mulch and watering.
Prepare the spot for this bedLeave space to work around it
The outside size follows the inside plus 1.5-inch walls on each side, the thickness of a 2-inch board. Change it for a bed with thicker or thinner walls.
Sides refer to the drawing. For round containers, select all four sides to check reach from the whole rim. Layout clearances use the enclosing outside rectangle, including for round beds.
Work out your soil order
Split into your own mix
Already have a two-part soil mix in mind? Enter the percentage of each ingredient. Read the soil and surface guidance before choosing a mix.
Bag size for each ingredient
Compare your bag and bulk quotes
Private amounts stay on this page and are excluded from save, share and print. Enter 0 for a genuinely free delivery.
Beds sold within 6 in of your bed
Beds we list that come within 6 in of Bed 1’s size.
Kits that cover these beds
Each watering kit against the beds in your plan, by the coverage its maker states.
Find a bed for your plan
Check each bed size against the limits you set, then swap it into your plan. Compare the construction and maintenance choices before narrowing by size.
Pick a bed from your plan and at least one limit, such as the longest bed you have room for.
Add up to three sizes to compare their measurements and construction. A fit covers only the limits you set.
Compare your selected beds
Measurements below are in inches, as the makers list them. Without the inside measurements we can’t work out the soil or the reach.
Scroll across to compare the sizes you picked.
Epic Garden Watering System · Starter Kit
Three parts of the water route
- At the sourceStarter: timer, filter and hose connection kit
- To the bed16 mm main tubing: 50 ft
- At the plantsManifold and eight separate drip tapes
Follow the selected kit’s own instructions for installation order. Backflow protection is a separate check; a filter does not replace it.
Check the kit against your plan
Enter what you have measured and leave unknown measurements blank. The result separates bed fit, included tubing, pressure and connection checks.
Plan the water route and parts listStart with what you need to work out
Will the beds fit?
Arrange up to six beds with paths and enough room to reach the middle.
Plan beds and pathsWhich watering kit?
Use the beds in your plan to check the water connection, tubing and starter kit.
Check watering for this planBuying more than a few bags? Bags or bulk soil sets out what to compare before you order a delivered load, and soil for your bed size has the answer worked out for common sizes from a 2 × 3 ft bed to an 8 × 8 ft bed.
Watering from a faucet? A pressure regulator brings the pressure down to the 25 to 30 psi most drip parts are made for, a backflow preventer stops garden water being drawn back into your drinking water, and a hose-end timer turns the drip on and off for you.
Compare beds by how you’ll use them
Compare all 89 bedsShown: 2 × 8 ft layout in Modern Gray.
For changing the layout of one bed
Vego 9-in-1 raised bed, 17-inch
17 in tall · 6 to 35 ft³ · 9 sizes and layouts
Arrange the metal panels into a long, narrow bed or a wider growing space. One kit offers nine layouts with 17-inch walls.
17 inHeight, about knee height on an adult
SteelWarranty: 2 years
6 to 35 ft³Stated soil capacity
Open-bottom bedSteel2-year warranty9 sizes and layouts
Choose one layout before ordering soil: the nine arrangements use the same set of panels.
For cedar joinery without tools
Gardener’s Supply Farmstead cedar bed
8 in tall · capacity not stated · 6 sizes and layouts
Assemble cedar boards with wooden pegs, without tools. Choose the footprint and height that suit the space you can reach.
8 inHeight, below the knee on an adult
8 inPlanting depth
Not statedStated soil capacity
Bed on the groundWoodLifetime warranty (store credit)6 sizes and layouts
Stacking another level increases the fill volume. Calculate the assembled height you intend to use before ordering soil.
Shown: 2 × 4 ft, Olive Green, without wheels.
For gardening at standing height
Vego Classic elevated planter
32 in overall · 7.6 to 15 ft³ · 3 sizes and layouts
Bring a 12-inch planting space up on legs, with a shelf below for supplies. Compare the footprints and wheeled options before choosing a spot.
32 inOverall height, hip height on an adult
12 inPlanting depth
7.6 to 15 ft³Stated soil capacity
Elevated planterSteel2-year warranty3 sizes and layouts
Use the 12-inch planting depth for fill calculations. The taller overall stand height includes the legs.
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Torn between two makers? Compare Vego and Birdies, Epic and Vego, Epic and Birdies or Frame It All and Vego. Between materials, set metal against cedar, cedar against composite or fabric grow bags against metal, weigh an elevated planter against an open-bottom bed, and read how metal, cedar, composite and fabric beds are built: the walls, bottom, joints and upkeep.
Working on the rest of the yard?
Use the yard-material calculators to measure mulch, gravel, topsoil, sod and pavers for the ground around your beds, and the landscape edging calculator for the feet of edging, pieces and stakes around a border or path.
Gravel and stone calculator
Calculate gravel, crushed stone or decorative rock for a path, border or base in cubic yards, bags and US tons, using the weight of your chosen stone.
Mulch calculator
Work out how many bags or cubic yards of mulch to buy for your beds, borders and tree rings, at the depth you want.
Cubic yard calculator
Turn an area and a depth into cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters for soil, mulch, gravel or any bulk material, with the area one yard covers at each depth.
Topsoil calculator
Measure the ground and the layer you want to add, then work out your topsoil order in bags, cubic yards and weight.
Sod calculator
Work out the lawn area you need to cover, then count rolls or pallets using your sod farm’s sizes.
Paver calculator
Count pavers for a patio or garden path, with separate quantities for the base and bedding sand.
Raised bed guides
All guidesHow to build a 4x8 cedar raised garden bed
A 4 × 8 ft cedar raised bed built from six 8-foot 2 × 6 boards, one 4 × 4 post and 40 stainless steel screws: the cut list, the steps and the soil it takes.
How deep should a raised garden bed be?
At least 10 inches of soil for most crops, 15 to 18 inches where nothing usable lies below, and the root depths of common vegetables, with what each depth costs to fill.
What to put in the bottom of a raised garden bed
On open ground, usually nothing but soil: no gravel, no plastic. What cardboard, hardware cloth and landscape fabric are for, and when a bed needs them.