🧺 Section4 tools4 printable sheets
Soil and mulch
How much to fill a bed or top it off, in bags or bulk yards. The bag sizes come from the makers' own product pages, and each tool has a sheet for writing down what you bought.
Start here: one page per garden job
Garden systems
7 steps🧭 SystemRefresh border mulch: measure each bed, then buy only the gapMeasure the old layer in every bed before you order. One example yard needs 23 bags of 2 cu ft, not 45. The steps, the 3 inch limit and a free mulch record.Open the system 
7 steps🧭 SystemTurn fall leaves into bed cover and mulch, and keep a tally of the bagsWhat to do with fall leaves: mow a thin layer into the lawn, shred the rest and spread 2 to 3 inches on beds. Free leaf haul tally to print.Open the system 
6 steps🧭 SystemFall raised bed reset: clear, top up and cover for winterPut a raised bed to bed in fall: clear finished plants, measure how far the soil sank, top it up with compost and cover it with leaves. Free checklist.Open the system 
7 steps🧭 SystemFill a tall raised bed for less: wood below, soil on topUnder 17 inches, fill with soil. Taller, put logs and leaves in the lower half: a 4 x 8 bed 24 in tall takes 16 bags of soil, not 32. Free layer fill plan.Open the system 
7 steps🧭 SystemStart a new in-ground bed this fall: dig in compost or build on the lawnTwo ways to turn lawn into a bed this fall: a 4 x 10 ft bed takes 5 bags of compost dug in, or free leaves now and 3 to 5 bags in spring. Free bed log.Open the system 
8 steps🧭 SystemBuild the base for a paver patio or gravel path, from the string line to the sandSet a string, dig paver plus sand plus gravel, compact in layers, edge it. A 10 x 12 patio takes a 7 3/8 in dig and 67 bags of gravel. Free checklist.Open the system 
7 steps🧭 SystemKeep a soil and mulch purchase record, with every label in cubic feetTurn every bag label and bulk quote into cubic feet before you pay. One example fall list needs 55.41 cu ft, or 48 bags. Steps, units and a free purchase log.Open the system
Pick a job
Tools and records
- 🪱 CalculatorCompost and topsoil calculatorHow much compost or topsoil to buy for a garden bed or lawn: cubic feet, cubic yards and bag counts, plus the mix you get when you dig it in.Open the tool
- 🪨 CalculatorGravel and paver base calculatorHow much gravel and sand to buy for a paver patio, walkway or gravel path: cubic feet, cubic yards, bag counts and how deep to dig.Open the tool
- 🍂 CalculatorMulch calculatorHow much mulch a bed takes in cubic feet, cubic yards and 1.5 or 2 cu ft bags, at the depth you pick, with the 2 to 3 inch band worked out too.Open the tool
- 🪴 CalculatorRaised bed soil calculatorHow much soil fills a raised bed: cubic feet, cubic yards and a bag count for 1.5 or 2 cu ft bags, from the bed's length, width and depth.Open the tool
Read before the store run
Guides
🧰 Problem solverBags or bulk: when a cubic yard delivery is cheaperHow to compare bagged soil, mulch or compost with a bulk cubic yard: price per cubic foot, the delivery fee, and the bag count where bulk wins.Read the guide 
✅ ChecklistFall compost bin reset: empty the finished compost, then rebuild with leavesPull out the finished compost, spread it on your beds, then rebuild the bin 3 ft each way with fall leaves and greens, damp as a wrung-out sponge.Read the guide 
🧰 Problem solverWhat to do with fall leaves in the garden: shred them into mulchShred the leaves, then spread 2 to 3 inches on beds and 3 to 4 around shrubs. How to shred without a shredder, and how many bags a bed takes.Read the guide 
🧰 Problem solverHow to fill a tall raised bed without buying 2 yards of soilA 4 x 8 bed 24 inches tall holds 64 cu ft. Put logs, branches and leaves in the lower half and you buy 32 cu ft of soil instead. What goes in, what stays out.Read the guide 
📘 Know-howA plain gravel garden path: how deep, how much edging, how many bagsA gravel path needs no sand or pavers. Here is the depth, the edging length and the bag or ton count, worked for a 3 x 30 ft path.Read the guide 
🧰 Problem solverGravel priced by the ton: how many cubic yards you're gettingThe calculator says cubic yards, the stone yard quotes tons. How to convert with the weight per yard of the exact material, and what to ask before you order.Read the guide 
📘 Know-howHow deep should mulch be? The extension depths, material by materialTwo to 3 inches on most beds, deeper for whole leaves and straw, and never piled on a trunk. Extension depths side by side, plus the math for a top-up.Read the guide 
📘 Know-howHow deep to dig for a paver patio: paver, sand and gravel added upDig depth for a paver patio is the paver, the sand bed and the gravel base added up. Worked for a 10 x 12 patio with two makers' figures and the slope.Read the guide 
📘 Know-howHow many tomato plants fit in a 4 x 8 raised bedAt the extension spacing of 18 to 24 inches, a 4 x 8 ft bed takes 8 to 10 staked tomatoes in two rows, or 4 in wide cages. See the layouts and the math.Read the guide 
📘 Know-howHow much compost should you add each year?A quarter inch to 1 inch a year on an established bed, about 2 inches dug into a new or tired garden. The extension figures side by side, in bags.Read the guide 
📘 Know-howHow much mulch for a tree ring? Width, depth and the bag countA 6 ft ring 3 inches deep takes 4 bags of 2 cu ft; a 12 ft ring takes 15. How wide to go, how deep, the bare gap at the trunk, and the circle math.Read the guide 
📘 Know-howQuarts, liters and cubic feet on a soil bag: turning any label into cubic feetPotting mix comes in quarts, mulch in cubic feet, some bags in liters. How to turn any bag label into cubic feet so you can count bags and compare prices.Read the guide 
🧰 Problem solverRaised bed soil sank after a month: why, and how much to top upWhy raised bed soil settles after filling, what extension services say to add each year, and how to turn the gap into cubic feet and bags.Read the guide 
📘 Know-howSquare feet vs cubic feet: how to turn a garden bed into a bag countSquare feet is the bed's footprint; cubic feet adds the depth. Multiply area by depth in feet, divide by the bag size, round up. Worked for a 4 x 8 bed.Read the guide 
🧰 Problem solverDo you need new mulch this year? Measure the old layer firstMost borders don't need a whole new layer. Push a ruler in, rake what's left and buy only the inches you're short. One 200 sq ft border, worked out.Read the guide 
🧰 Problem solverTurning a patch of lawn into a garden bed this fallSmother the grass with soaked newspaper and layers of leaves and clippings in fall, plant in spring. Layer depths, settling and amounts for a 4 x 10 bed.Read the guide
One page each, US Letter
Printable sheets
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