The weather was on our side this week as the Customer Services Team managed to spend a productive morning in the Harrod Horticultural HQ garden in glorious sunshine – the autovents on the greenhouse had even opened!!
After building our newStandard Raised Bed a couple of weeks ago it was time to put it in situand start filling it. We are using one of our strong raised bed liners, not only do they protect the wood of the beds, but can help retain moisture and nutrients in the soil which can leach away over time.
The liner was easy to fit and then began the harder work of filling the raised bed. It’s always surprising how much soil it takes to fill a raised bed and it took a little longer than expected, but we got there in the end and now the bed looks great and all ready to plant.
How much soil do I need for my Raised Beds?
To calculate the amount of soil you will need for your Raised Bed, measure the dimensions of the bed and the soil depth you require. This is easiest in metres as it will give you the cubic metre volume required.
For example: Raised Bed Measures 1.2m (4ft) x 2.4m (8ft) and the soil needs to be 30cm deep – the calculation would be: 1.8 x 2.4 x 0.30 = 0.896m3 – so a 1 cubic metre bag would be enough.
Once you know the volume in cubic metres you can calculate how many bulk bags are needed by dividing by the volume in a bag. Bulk bags can vary in size, so it is worth checking how much is in a bag when comparing different products. There is also a handy calculator on our Topsoil and Soil Improver page.
So with the raised bed in place and the other beds tended ready for plants it was into the greenhouse to check on the progress of our seedlings. The courgettes are still going mad, having potted these on twice already, and are thriving in the greenhouse.
The squash, peas, kale and spinach are all doing well and the tomato plants are really getting going now the weather has warmed up a bit.
The weather is a bit confusing at the moment with some glorious sunny, almost warm days, and then a change of wind direction and the temperature drops and there is an almost wintry feel to the air. We have been wary of planting anything out until the threat of frost has passed, but looks like this may be a little longer yet as the mercury is set to drop again this weekend!
All in all it’s been a productive few weeks and we are definitely learning and improving each year, and hoping for even bigger and better harvests – we’ve already had some spring onions which quickly got snapped up when left in the staff kitchen!
Happy Gardening!
FAQs
For a 4x8-foot raised bed with a 6” height, using Mel's Mix: about 5 cubic feet each of compost, peat moss, and vermiculite is needed. It usually takes about two to three bags of purchased fertile mix (1.5 cubic feet each) to cover the bed surface to a depth of 2 inches.
How much dirt do I need to fill my raised bed? ›
Another way to calculate how much soil you need is by using the area method. Simply multiply the length and width of your bed together, then divide that number by 27 (the cubic feet in a cubic yard). This will give you the number of cubic yards of soil you need, assuming an average soil depth of one foot.
How full should you fill a raised bed? ›
Filling the Raised Garden Beds
For beds six to 12 inches deep, fill completely with soil. For deeper beds, it's sometimes helpful to add other materials to take up space and reduce the overall amount of soil, but it depends on your preference and soil availability.
Can you fill a raised bed with just top soil? ›
On its own, topsoil is not a great growing medium and I would recommend mixing in compost. Bulk Filling raised beds: Because it is often more cost-effective to purchase topsoil than garden or raised bed soil, bulk-filling new raised beds with a mixture that includes topsoil is a great way to get them started.
How to cheaply fill a raised bed? ›
To start, lay down sheets of cardboard or newspaper for weed suppression and then fill the raised bed structure halfway up with alternating layers of nitrogen-rich materials (like kitchen scraps and grass clippings) and carbon-rich materials (like wood chips and dried autumn leaves).
Is it cheaper to buy or build raised garden beds? ›
Store-bought raised garden beds come in a variety of sizes and styles, but can be pricey. For those interested in raised bed gardening without the expense, these DIY raised garden beds with step-by-step instructions can be built in a few hours and often for a fraction of the cost of store-bought kits.
What not to fill a raised garden bed with? ›
Adding gravel to the bottom of your raised bed for drainage is not necessary and adds another expense. If you don't add junk to the bottom of your bed and use appropriate soil, you should have good drainage. Don't fill your raised bed with ground soil. That defeats the purpose of having a raised bed garden.
What is the best mix to fill raised beds with? ›
Add a mixture of compost and purchased topsoil in a 1:2 or 1:1 ratio, to the top of the bed. There are vendors who sell topsoil mixed with compost. Alternatively, fill the bed with compost and a soilless growing mix in a 1:1 ratio.
Is it OK to use potting soil for raised beds? ›
Whether deep or shallow, raised beds give a gardener a way to create ideal soil conditions on an even larger scale. While potting mix alone is too light for use in raised beds, creating a 50:50 blend of potting mix and Miracle-Gro® All Purpose Garden Soil will give just the right balance.
What do you fill the bottom of a raised bed with? ›
To put it simply, you should put a layer of organic material at the bottom of your garden bed, which will break down and enrich the soil. This can include compost, or woody material such as logs, dry wood, branches, and leaves.
Raised bed soil is nutrient rich and contains a higher percentage of organic material than garden soil. However, you should also add additional organic fertilizer throughout the growing season to ensure a productive harvest. Organic and natural fertilizers include compost, algae and worms.
How do I calculate how many bags of soil I need? ›
Retailers usually sell soil and mulch by the 1 or 2 cubic feet amounts, but even if they don't, you can quickly determine how many bags to buy. Multiply the number of yards of material you need by 27 to find the total cubic feet, then divide by the number of cubic feet in the bag.
How much soil is in one bag? ›
One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet. A 40 pound bag of topsoil usually contains about 0.75 Cubic Feet of soil. There are 25.71404638 Dry Quarts in a Cubic Foot, so a 25 quart bag of potting soil would equal approximately 1 Cubic Foot.
All in all it’s been a productive few weeks and we are definitely learning and improving each year, and hoping for even bigger and better harvests – we’ve already had some spring onions which quickly got snapped up when left in the staff kitchen!
