At Rosehill Gardens, we know that starting a garden is intimidating for those who have never done it before. Raised bed gardening is a good place to start since you don’t have to drag out a plow or worry about large-scale production.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.
One of the garden soil tips we’re asked is, “How much soil do I need for my garden?” In this guide, we’ll show you how to calculate the answer.
To calculate how much soil you need, start by measuring your garden’s length and width in feet. If your garden is not an even number of feet long or wide (for example, if it’s 14 feet, 6 inches), convert the measurement to a decimal. (For our example, this would be 14.5 feet.)
Once you know your garden’s length and width, you’ll need to know how deep you want your soil, in feet. A common choice is to have raised beds with 12 inches or one foot of soil. This is what we suggest for general growing purposes. Some smaller plants, such as lettuce and strawberries, do just fine in six inches or 0.5 feet of soil.
When you have your garden’s length, width, and ideal depth, all you have to do is multiply those three numbers together to get a volume. The answer will be the number of cubic feet of soil you need.
An even easier method is to use this online calculator.
Do you need more tips and tricks for growing the best garden on the block? Take a look at our Plant Care Guide, where you can learn all about common plants and how to best grow them.
We’re always available to offer garden soil tips and more. Contact Rosehill Gardens with your questions, and one of our specialists will be sure to help you.