Raised bed soil calculator
Enter your bed size and how many beds you’re filling. The result includes extra for settling after the first watering.
Measuring in feet and inches? Use the US version
Soil needed
950 litres
- Bags to buy
- 20 50 litre bags
- Bulk order
- 0.95 m³
How it works
Each bed’s volume is length × width × depth. The calculator multiplies by the number of beds and adds your settling allowance, because fresh soil sinks noticeably once it’s watered in. One cubic metre is 1,000 litres, so the bag count is litres divided by the bag size.
Example
With bed length 2.4 m, bed width 1.2 m, soil depth 30 cm, number of beds 1, extra for settling 10%, bag size: 50 litre bag, the answer is 950 litres.
Tips before you buy
- Most vegetables grow well in 25–30 cm of loose soil. Deep-rooted crops appreciate more.
- In a tall bed, fill the bottom with branches, leaves or old turf turned upside down to save on bought soil.
- Once you need more than about a cubic metre, compare the price of a bulk bag with buying bags.
Common questions
How many bags of compost fill a 2.4 × 1.2 m raised bed?
At 30 cm deep the bed holds 864 litres: 18 bags of 50 litres, or 20 bags with 10% extra for settling.
How much does soil settle in a raised bed?
Loose bagged soil and compost commonly settle 10–20% in the first few weeks.
How many litres are in a cubic metre of soil?
1,000 litres.