Yard & Garden / Soil, Compost & Mulch
Soil, Compost & Mulch
Soil volume, compost ratios, mulch, raised beds, fertilizer.
23 resources
About Soil, Compost & Mulch
Soil is the limiting factor in almost every garden. Get it right and most plants thrive with minimal fussing. Get it wrong and no amount of fertilizer, watering, or pest control will save the season. This section helps you calculate how much soil, compost, and mulch to buy for raised beds and garden plots, balance carbon-to-nitrogen ratios in compost, and amend existing soil for specific crops. Measure your bed, enter depth, and the tools return cubic feet, cubic yards, or bag counts instead of guesses.
Tools 10
Black Earth Calculator
Estimate how much black earth you need for gardens, raised beds, and landscaping projects.
Compost Calculator
Estimate how much compost you need for gardens, raised beds, and soil amendment.
Container Garden Soil Calculator
Calculate how much potting mix you need to fill containers, raised pots, and planners. Enter container dimensions or select common pot sizes.
Fertilizer Calculator
Estimate how much fertilizer you need based on garden area and application rate.
Fertilizer Selector
Decision-tree picker for the right fertilizer: pick what you're feeding (lawn, vegetable garden, flower bed, fruit tree, shade tree, shrub, container, acid-loving plant, new bed, damaged grass), soil pH, organic-only preference, season, and budget. Returns recommended N-P-K ratio, product type (granular slow-release / liquid / compost / lime / specialty), application rate per 100 sq ft / 100 m², timing, and whether you should soil-test first.
Lime Application Calculator: How Much Lime Do I Need to Raise Soil pH?
Find how much lime to apply to raise your soil pH from where it is to where it should be, by area and soil type. Returns total lime needed in lb and kg, number of applications (single or split into two), per-application amount, and the timing window. Covers sand, sandy loam, loam, clay loam, and clay. Dolomitic vs calcitic vs pelletized tradeoffs. Cool-season fall and early-spring application windows. Lowering-pH branch directs users to sulfur via the soil-pH-testing guide.
Mulch Calculator
Estimate mulch volume in cubic feet and cubic yards based on length, width, and depth.
Raised Bed Soil Calculator
Estimate soil volume for raised garden beds based on inside length, width, and depth.
Tree and Shrub Fertilization Calculator: How Much N for the Dripline?
Find how much fertilizer a tree or shrub needs by species type, DBH (trunk diameter), soil pH, and season. Returns actual N in lb and kg, bag amount of 10-10-10, dripline ring application zone, and a pH interlock that routes you to lime or sulfur first if your soil is wrong for the species. Covers deciduous, conifers, fruit trees, acid-loving (blueberry / rhododendron / azalea / holly), and shrubs. Year-1 sapling and mature-tree edge cases handled. US + Canada units and brands.
Weed Removal Method Picker
Decision-tree picker that ranks weed-removal methods (manual / cardboard smother / vinegar / corn gluten / targeted herbicide) by weed type, area, bed type, chemical tolerance, and timeline.
Guides 8
Composting for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide
A practical step-by-step guide to starting your first compost system. Bin choices, the green-to-brown ratio, watering, turning, and how to fix common problems.
How to Calculate Soil for Your Garden
How much soil to buy for raised beds, containers, and top-dressing existing beds, with simple formulas in cubic feet and cubic yards and rules for bag vs bulk.
How to Fertilize Trees and Shrubs (Dripline Ring, pH First)
Why tree fertilization differs from lawn fertilization (root system 1.5 to 3x canopy spread, dripline ring not surface broadcast), the pH-first rule, when to apply by species (deciduous fall or pre-bud-break, conifer late spring, fruit pre-bud-break + post-harvest, acid-loving early spring + late summer, shrubs early spring), how much (1-3 lb actual N per 1000 sq ft of root zone), where (dripline ring, never trunk), application methods, acid-loving species deep-dive, and when mature trees don't need it at all. US + Canada brands.
How to Fertilize Your Yard and Garden (Soil Test First)
Anchor fertilization guide: soil test sources (US county extension + Canadian provincial labs like Quebec MAPAQ, Ontario AAFC, BC Ministry of Agriculture), lawn timing for cool-season vs warm-season grass, vegetable garden N vs P balance by crop, trees and shrubs at the dripline, acid-loving plants (blueberries, azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas), lime application for acidic soil, cheap alternatives that actually work, and when not to fertilize.
How to Get Rid of Weeds (Without Wrecking Your Soil)
A practical residential weed-control guide: identify common weeds, pick the right method (manual, smother, vinegar, pre-emergent, targeted herbicide), prep beds before mulch, and prevent the return. Covers US and Canadian regulatory differences.
How to Read a Fertilizer Label
What the three N-P-K numbers mean, how to convert 'apply 1 lb per 100 sq ft' into a real bag count, and how organic and synthetic fertilizers compare in practice.
Mulch vs Compost: What's the Difference
What mulch and compost each do, where each goes, when to use both, and how deep to apply them, with simple rules for common bed sizes.
Soil pH Testing Guide (DIY, Strip Kits, Lab)
Why soil pH matters (the nutrient lockout chart), the three ways to test (DIY vinegar+baking soda, strip kits and probe meters, lab soil tests), how to take a representative sample, target pH by plant type (lawn, vegetables, blueberries, potatoes, rhododendrons, hydrangea pink vs blue), US and Canadian labs to use, retest cadence, and the common mistakes that produce misleading numbers.
Printables 5
Composting Log and Schedule
A detailed composting log and schedule to help gardeners manage their compost effectively.
Fertilizer Application Tracker (Printable)
Printable multi-zone fertilizer application tracker. Log rows by yard zone (front lawn, back lawn, vegetable beds, fruit trees, shade trees, shrubs, containers, acid-loving), columns for date, product, N-P-K, amount applied, soil temperature (F / C), weather, cost, notes. 12-month rolling format with separate soil pH log and annual cost summary.
Soil Test and Amendment Tracker (Printable)
A printable multi-year tracker for soil test results, lime applications, and other amendments across yard zones, with a year-over-year pH trend log. Zone snapshot at top, soil-test results log with date / zone / lab / pH / N / P / K / Ca / Mg / organic matter / recommendations / cost. Lime application log with date / zone / type (dolomitic, calcitic, pelletized) / amount in lb and kg / pre-app pH / target / per-app or single / cost. Other amendments log (sulfur, gypsum, compost). 3-year pH trend table. Quick reference: target pH by plant, US Cooperative Extension search, Canadian labs (A&L, ALS, MAPAQ, BC, AB, SK, MB, NS, PEI, NB), retest cadence, when NOT to test.
Tree and Shrub Care Log (Printable)
A printable multi-year tracker for trees and shrubs. Inventory rows (plant ID, species, location, planting year, current DBH, canopy width, target health). Annual fertilization log (date / tree ID / product N-P-K / amount lb+kg / application zone / soil pH / cost USD+CAD). Pruning log, pest and disease log, mulch and amendment log. Multi-year DBH growth tracking. Quick reference card with target pH by species, N rate per species, dripline ring math, when NOT to fertilize, US ag-extension + Canadian provincial labs.
Weed Control Calendar (Printable)
Printable month-by-month weed-control calendar with two climate bands: Northern/Cold (USDA 3-6, NRCan 0-5b) and Southern/Mild (USDA 7-10, NRCan 6-9). Tracks pre-emergent timing, manual passes, edging, mulch refresh, and fall cleanup.
Frequently asked questions
How deep does soil need to be in a raised bed?
6 inches minimum for shallow-rooted crops (lettuce, herbs), 8 to 12 inches for most vegetables, and 18 inches or more for root crops (carrots, parsnips) and large tomatoes. Deeper is better if your budget allows.
What's the right compost ratio of greens to browns?
Roughly 3 parts browns (dry leaves, straw, cardboard) to 1 part greens (food scraps, grass clippings, fresh weeds) by volume. Too much green makes a smelly anaerobic pile; too much brown breaks down too slowly. Our compost calculator tunes the ratio based on what you have available.
How much mulch do I need?
2 to 4 inches deep for most beds, which suppresses weeds without suffocating plant stems. Our mulch calculator takes bed area and desired depth and returns cubic yards or bag counts.
Should I buy bagged soil or order bulk delivery?
Bulk is cheaper per cubic yard once you need more than about 2 cubic yards (roughly 80 bags). Below that, bagged is easier to handle and store. The soil volume calculator shows both options so you can compare.
How do I improve clay soil?
Add organic matter gradually over years, not all at once. Compost, aged manure, and leaf mold worked into the top 6-8 inches each season transform clay into workable loam. Avoid adding sand unless you're adding more than 50% by volume; below that it makes a concrete-like soil.