Calculating the volume of compost needed for raised beds?

[growerkari]

I'm having a total brain fog this morning Trying to calculate how much compost or topsoil I will need to order to fill my raised beds.

I'm planning 5 beds, each measures 1x2meters & about 15cm deep, how do I calculate in ltrs how much I need to buy?

Any ideas? I think I need more coffee.......

[scott78]

ok, i will try first then
1500

based on ((100cm * 200cm * 15cm)/1000)*5

[Two_Sheds]

You don't need to FILL them, and you don't need to do it all at once. Well rotted manure & garden compost can be added over the years

Several people have asked the same question, you might want to trawl through the older threads for more info

[Aberdeenplotter]

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...oil_54735.html

That was recent.

[Aberdeenplotter]

You don't need to FILL them, and you don't need to do it all at once. Well rotted manure & garden compost can be added over the years

Several people have asked the same question, you might want to trawl through the older threads for more info

Not much point in half filling a raised bed that is only six inches to start with though. Compost/soil settles and a three inch layer will shrink considerably.

[FionaH]

Not much point in half filling a raised bed that is only six inches to start with though. Compost/soil settles and a three inch layer will shrink considerably.

I disagree. My beds were that high to start wth. I just turned the soil over and added a little MPC the first year. Over the last few years I have added home made compost, muck etc and added more boards as they grew.

I trialled one bed as a "lasagne" bed made of layers of straw, cardboard, muck and compost, this raised the level well and work nicely. Grew some great parsnips in there the first year.

Here is a link http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tml#post340162

[Kristen]

I'm having a total brain fog this morning Trying to calculate how much compost or topsoil I will need to order to fill my raised beds.

I'm planning 5 beds, each measures 1x2meters & about 15cm deep, how do I calculate in ltrs how much I need to buy?

Any ideas? I think I need more coffee.......

Google will do a calculation for you if you just stick it in the search box (sticking an "=" sign on the end can help). You need "*" for Multiplication, and be careful to spell the units correctly (and you need "Imperial Gallons" if you are using UK Gallons)

1 metre * 2 metres * 15cm =

gives 300 litres, or if you want different units use something like:

1 metre * 2 metres * 15cm in cubic feet =

which gives 10.59

If you are buying 70 litre bags your could do:

(1 metre * 2 metres * 15cm) / 70 litres =

which is a little over 4 bags (although that's probably "fluffed up" and you might need a bit more once it settles down

[Aberdeenplotter]

I accept that as good reason for disagreeing with my view if the intention is to increase the depth over a period. However,my opinion was based on the need to have a realistic depth of ground to plant in immediately .

[zazen999]

We never completely fill our beds in schools; I'd spend all my budget just on topsoil. The only place I've bought soil is where the soil wasn't actually soil under the grass, but dry sand.

We put the beds down, cover all the grass with anything and everything that we can can get hold of - shredded paper, newspaper, peelings - with cardboard over the top of that, and compost [home made usually] over the top of that. Then plant through the cardboard using a bulb planter. You get a few weeds poking through the hole but nothing major.

If you can pop a layer of manure under the cardboard even better.

Just layer it up, and when you harvest, mulch, and over winter let the worms pull the stuff down into the soil and next year's level will be higher.

[growerkari]

Thank you for all of the replies, its helped alot, especially the idea of adding the shredded paper, veg peelings etc, I have loads of shredded paper, so that will help.

I was beginning to worry abit at the cost of all the compost I was going to have to buy to fill them all.

[FionaH]

I was beginning to worry abit at the cost of all the compost I was going to have to buy to fill them all.

So was my husband! Thats why I did the lasagne bed

[Two_Sheds]

my opinion was based on the need to have a realistic depth of ground to plant in immediately .

Kari is, I believe, siting her raised beds on top of the soil she already has: therefore she already has a reasonable depth in which to plant
(Kari, you should fork that ground over before you start topping up the raised bed)

I've done a lasagne bed at school - the topsoil would've cost over £100. It's had layers of newspaper, grass clippings, annual weeds, garden compost, coffee grounds, autumn leaves and has just been topped off with upturned turves & some molehill soil

[Aberdeenplotter]

Kari is, I believe, siting her raised beds on top of the soil she already has: therefore she already has a reasonable depth in which to plant

She doesn't make that point in her op and perhaps I made the wrong assumption, but then again, perhaps not. After all if she already has a reasonable depth of soil, why is she doing what isn't necessary? Only Kari can answer that un.

[Snadger]

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!!!!!!!"

[Sylvan]

As long as they don't charge you for the extra Snadger.

Where can I find this wonderful company? I want to use them!