Read This And Learn How To Fill A Raised Garden Bed
Did you just buy a raised garden bed and don’t know what to do next? If you are like me, the first thing you did was google “how to fill a raised garden bed” and then got confused. I found myself asking “how much dirt do I need”, “do I really need that much dirt”, etc. Learn from what I did, and do it easier!
How Much Dirt Do You Need To Fill A Raised Garden Bed?
There are different methods to filling a raised garden bed, I tried 2 different ways as I had 2 beds to fill. The first method is to fill with soil & compost. For me, I headed to Excel and made some formulas for how much dirt & compost I needed.
To determine how much fill you need, multiply the length, width & depth of your beds. For example, my beds are 6′ x 3′ x 1′, so I get 18′. The number you get is the number of cubic feet you need to fill your bed, in my case it’s 18 cubic feet.
Next you’ll want to figure out the soil & compost you’ll be buying and what size the bag is – I found 1.5 cubic feet bags for my garden soil & mushroom compost and 1 cubic feet for top soil and composted manure.
Adding In Compost & Manure To Your Raised Garden Bed
After some research, I determined the best mix of compost & manure for my beds is a 2:1 ratio. Meaning, for every 2 bags of top soil, I mixed 1 bag of compost or manure. I did the same 2:1 ratio for mixing in my garden soil as well. I was able to do the math to determine how many bags of each I would need to fill my beds.
I was ready to head to the store! All in, I spent about $60 to fill the bed, I had gotten some discounts on my open bags at the store which really saved me some money.
An Alternate Method To Filling A Raised Garden Bed
For my 2nd bed, I first started with laying down branches I had cut from a dead tree. I made sure to cut them a little smaller so they fit in the bed. When I read about this method online it mentioned filling about half way with organic material – all I had were branches. My bed ended up being pretty much filled to the top with branches, I figured the fill would weigh it all down.
After laying my branches, I headed back to the store for more fill. To my surprise, I actually used more dirt to fill my 2nd bed using this method! I truly thought I would need maybe 1 or 2 bags less. The branches did get weighed down, but not as much as I thought. As I filled the bed, I had to really get the dirt between the branches so I wouldn’t have random gaps.
Which Way To Fill A Raised Garden Bed Do I Prefer?
For me, I prefer method 1 – straight fill only, no organic material. When I planted in my 2nd bed it was had to “dig” into the soil as there are branches in there. I also find that some sticks poke through – and that’s just dangerous for me. Filling a raised garden bed can be costly, but if you mix the top soil with compost & manure, you should have a great place to plant!
When I look at the beds, I already see some “low” spots, but that’s for another time. In the fall, I’ll likely add in 2 additional bags of top soil and 1 compost bag to keep my dirt level up in both beds.
I must get back to my garden tasks, if you’d like to read more garden tips – click here!
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