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.
Work out how much soil to buy, leave room to reach your plants, and choose watering parts that go together.
Example: 96 × 48 in inside, 12 in of soil
22bags of 1.5 ft³
Bag size, ft³
32cubic feet of fill
1.19cubic yards to order
2,607 lbestimated weight
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 filled depth. 906.14 liters across 1 bed.
Weight uses Sands and Soils screened topsoil at 2,200 lb a cubic yard. Choose another material in Soil order.
Bed 1: the farthest soil is within your entered reach from the selected sides.
Measure the inside of the bed
Choose a bed to start with
Soil depth is the inside height minus the space you leave empty at the top.
Prepare the spot for this bedLeave space to work around it
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.
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.
Compare beds for this plan
Find published bed sizes that meet the space and depth you choose.
Check watering kits for these beds
Check a kit’s coverage, tubing and connections against the beds in this plan.
Find a bed for your plan
Compare exact sizes against the requirements you choose, then replace one bed in your plan. Compare the construction and maintenance choices before narrowing by size.
Choose a bed and at least one requirement to begin. The example plan is not automatically your buying limit.
Add up to three configurations to compare their dimensions and construction. A match covers only the requirements you selected.
Compare your selected beds
Specifications below are in inches, as published. Unknown inside dimensions cannot provide a fill or reach answer.
Scroll across to compare the selected configurations.
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
Use the selected kit’s manual 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 planCompare beds by how you’ll use them
Compare all 35 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
Not statedPlanting depth
6 to 35 ft³Stated soil capacity
Open-bottom bed9 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
8 inPlanting depth
Not statedStated soil capacity
Open-bottom bed6 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
12 inPlanting depth
7.6 to 15 ft³Stated soil capacity
Elevated planter3 sizes and layouts
Use the 12-inch planting depth for fill calculations. The taller overall stand height includes the legs.
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.
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.