How much soil for a 3x8 raised bed?

Soil for a 3 × 8 ft bed at each depth

Whole bags are rounded up. The bed’s wall height is not the soil depth: measure the depth you plan to fill.

Measure inside the walls

The table uses the full 3 × 8 ft. If that is the outside size of a wooden bed built from boards 1½ inches thick, the growing space inside is 33 × 93 inches. At 12 inches deep that holds 21.31 cubic feet, 11% less than the table. Metal and composite walls are thinner, but corner posts and braces still take space, so measure between the inner walls before you order.

Beds sold at 3 × 8 ft

These beds in our catalogue are sold at this size. A maker’s stated capacity often differs from the table because the inside is smaller than the advertised size or the maker assumes a different fill depth.

• Vego Jumbo Elevated Garden Bed32 in walls, 12 in planting depth. The maker states 22.6 cubic feet.

Work out your own bed

Open these measurements in the soil calculator to change the depth, add more beds or split the fill into a mix. To compare the cost of bags with a bulk delivery for 0.89 cubic yards, use the bagged vs bulk soil calculator.

Other bed sizes