Calculating the volume of compost needed for raised beds?

[Florence Fennel]

I made the mistake of filling a raised bed purely with bags of compost some years ago as a novice. It took about 10 x 20 litre bags and it was on soil. My next three beds have been a lot easier and much cheaper with the lasagne method and my latest is a piece of ground covered in card for a few months through which I am going to plant potatoes as a start (have had some great advice on here).

[growerkari]

Thanks guys, the beds are going on top of the lawn, I should have made that clear in my first post, sorry for any confusion.

I decided to use raised beds as I dont have an allotment and am taking over part of the family garden, which is most commonly used as the kids playground, so raised beds give my crops some protection against the kidlets just running straight over them.

I think the lasagne idea sounds perfect & will save me alot of pennies, so I might be able to afford some tickets to The Edible Garden show after all

[Florence Fennel]

I usually work on a tonne of soil giving a metre cube-ish............which is great, apart from when you order 10 tonne of topsoil and a 20 tonne wagon arrives with the driver saying "Oh, they put a bit extra on for good luck!!!!!!!"

..and they say you can't get owt for nowt these days! Well done Snadger!

[Dead Dogs]

Thanks to all of you for this advice. I put the boarding up for a raised bed in the poly on Saturday. Know I have a few ideas of how to fill it.

[thepict]

Yesterday I bought a raised bed that is 1mtr by 1 mtr and 15 cm deep. How do I calculate how much compost I require. I bought a raised bed as I only have a back yard and have previously used containers and now I wish to try square foot gardening.
Any help gratly appreciated.

[Two_Sheds]

15cm is very shallow: is your bed going to sit on soil?

[Thelma Sanders]

My maths says 150 L of compost

[thepict]

The frame has a depth of 6" . I've no soil as I only have a concrete yard.

[thepict]

Thank you Thelma for the answer.
Bill

[chris]

For future reference, rowlawn and the like have soil/compost volume calculators on their site [based on their products mind]

[Two_Sheds]

The frame has a depth of 6" . I've no soil as I only have a concrete yard.

You will struggle to grow much in only 6" of soil/compost. You'd be much more successful if you could double that, or alternatively grow in deeper pots