Soil calculator for West Virginia

For a 4 x 8 raised bed at 12 inches deep, you need 32 cubic feet of soil. That comes to 1.2 cubic yards, often more than a first bed builder expects after thinking in bags. Enter any bed, planter, or yard project here and select from the three available soil types. The weight varies by material: garden soil weighs about 2,000 lb per cubic yard, screened topsoil weighs 2,200, and fill dirt weighs 2,400. Select the soil you plan to order for the correct ton total.

Three steps for bed math

1. Enter each bed or planter measurement in feet. Use multiple-areas mode to combine the totals from several beds.
2. Match depth to the job: use 4-6 inches to refresh existing beds, 6 inches for new ground-level beds, or 12 inches to fill an empty raised planter.
3. Divide cubic feet by 27 for cubic yards. Then multiply yards by 1.0 to 1.2 for tons, based on soil type.

Coverage and soil weights

Choose soil for the work

• Garden soil is for vegetable patches, flower beds, and planters. It includes compost and is ready to plant in.
• Use screened topsoil for lawn areas and finish grading. The Topsoil Calculator provides lawn-depth guidance and examples.
• For holes and grade adjustments, use fill dirt below, then save growing soil for the upper layer.
• When native ground is worn out, work 2-3 inches of garden soil into the upper 6 inches instead of replacing the entire bed. It uses less material and gives roots a gradual transition.

Raised-bed filling that uses less blend

You do not need blended soil through the full depth of a deep bed. Beds above 18 inches can use a lower third of fill dirt or coarse organic matter that composts in place, followed by 8-12 inches of garden soil in the rooting zone. Calculate each layer separately with two quick runs. Measure that 12 inches instead of estimating the depth.

Example: three 4 x 8 beds

For a bed measuring Ninety-six square feet and filled 12 inches deep, the volume comes to 96 cubic feet, or 3.6 cubic yards, with garden soil at about 3.6 tons. Plan on 4 yards. In the first weeks, blended soil may settle roughly 10% as the compost portion compresses, leaving the extra material to bring the beds back up afterward.

Improve clay or sand in place

Dense clay holds water, while sandy ground lets water pass through too quickly between watering. Treat both by tilling 2-3 inches of compost-blended garden soil into the top 6 inches for a couple of seasons. Compared with replacing all the soil, this uses a third of the material and lifting, while roots and worms gradually mix it farther down. Replace soil to full depth only where debris from construction or contamination makes the existing ground unsuitable.

Bulk soil versus bags

One cubic yard is about 36 bags at 40 lb. A single raised bed can mean 43 bags, and carrying 43 bags more than once adds up quickly. Bulk costs less per cubic foot and arrives in one tip, with free delivery and no truck fee to recover. Bags still make sense for topping off one planter. Have the pile placed on a tarp since soil can stain concrete, then cleanup is as simple as dragging and folding the tarp.

Soil amounts for beds and bags

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