Garden Calculator — Soil, Mulch & Plant Spacing

Free garden calculator. Calculate how much soil, mulch, compost, and seeds you need for your garden beds. Plant spacing calculator for landscaping projects.

Garden Bed Calculator

How to Use

Select bed shape (rectangle or circle) and enter dimensions and soil depth.

Choose soil type, plant spacing, mulch option, and optional price per cubic yard.

Click Calculate to see soil volume, bag count, plant capacity, mulch, and cost.

What is a Garden Calculator?

A garden calculator helps you plan your raised bed or garden plot by calculating how much soil, compost, and mulch you need. It estimates volume in cubic yards and feet, tells you how many bags to buy, approximates how many plants will fit based on spacing, and provides a cost estimate. Whether you're building a new raised bed or refilling an existing one, this tool takes the guesswork out of ordering materials.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much soil do I need for a raised garden bed?
Multiply the length × width × depth of your bed (in feet), then divide by 27 to get cubic yards. A standard 4×8 foot bed that is 12 inches deep needs about 1.2 cubic yards of soil.
How deep should the soil be?
For most vegetables and flowers, 6-12 inches is ideal. Root vegetables like carrots need 12+ inches. Shallow herbs can grow in 6 inches.
What is the difference between soil and compost?
Soil is the base growing medium. Compost is decomposed organic matter mixed in to add nutrients. A good raised bed mix is 60% soil, 30% compost, and 10% other amendments.
How many plants can I fit in my bed?
It depends on the plant. The calculator provides an estimate based on common spacing: 12 inches for most vegetables, 6 inches for herbs, and 18 inches for large plants like tomatoes.
How much mulch do I need?
Mulch is typically applied 2-3 inches deep around plants. The calculator provides mulch volume based on your bed area minus estimated plant coverage.

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