Working out how much topsoil you need for a project is one of the most commonly asked questions by gardeners and landscapers looking to buy topsoil. If you mismeasure the area you need the topsoil for, it can lead to a great amount of waste of both topsoil and money!
Below, we’ve created a topsoil calculator so that you can be sure you know exactly how much topsoil you need whether that be for raising flower beds or levelling an uneven lawn.
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Once you’ve worked out how much topsoil you need in cubic metres, there are also some things you need to consider before placing an order.
How much topsoil do I need for my garden?
Topsoil has several uses within the garden, whether that be for creating or levelling lawns, raising flower beds or growing vegetables. Each of its different uses means a different amount of topsoil is required.
At Alsoils+, we supply a range of nutrient-rich topsoils to both domestic and trade customers, and can also deliver to those on the South Coast of the UK.
Levelling lawns
If you’re looking to level a bumpy lawn, the general rule of thumb is to use between 2-3cm of topsoil – we’ve also created the ultimate guide to levelling a lawn.
Growing vegetables
As there are different types of vegetables (root, cruciferous, allium etc), they require different levels of topsoil.
- Root vegetables will require between 3-4cm of topsoil
- Other types of vegetables that grow on top of the ground will require between 1-2cm of topsoil
General gardening
For most forms of gardening such as raising flower beds or planting, you should use between 1-2cm of topsoil.
How much will 1 tonne of topsoil cover?
Topsoils can vary in screening sizes, therefore some topsoils may be denser than others. Generally speaking, 1 tonne of topsoil will cover 0.63 cubic metres or 22 cubic feet or 0.81 cubic yards.
Our bags of topsoil come in sizes of 0.75m³, meaning you’ll get just over a tonne of soil per bag!
If you’re struggling to measure the size of your plot in order to find out how much topsoil you need, breaking each section down into manageable chunks will help you get accurate measurements ensuring you don’t under/over order the amount you need.
For those who want a calculation or formula to follow rather using than our calculator, you can follow the steps below to find out how many cubic metres of topsoil you need.
- Measure the width of your plot (in metres)
- Measure the length of your plot (in metres)
- Measure the depth of your plot (in metres)
- Multiply the width by the length by the depth then divide by 100
- E.g. 10m x 20m x 2cm / 100 = 4m³
