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Plain-English guides

Garden Guides

The number first, then enough to trust it. How much you need, how deep, and how far apart — with a calculator for every job.

Raised garden bed soil
Raised Beds

What Soil Mix for Raised Beds?

The best raised bed soil mix is 60 percent topsoil, 30 percent compost, and 10 percent aeration. Here is why each part matters, plus the per-bag amounts for a 4x8 bed.

Jun 4, 2026 · 6 min read
Picardo Farm, Wedgwood, Seattle, Washington. Seattle's first P-Patch community garden. Raised beds: allotment gardens for the handicapped.
Raised Beds

Raised Bed Soil: The Complete Guide (Mix, Depth, Cost)

Everything that goes in a raised bed, in one place: the fill formula, the 60/30/10 mix, how deep to build, a cheaper bottom layer, and bulk-vs-bagged cost.

Jun 4, 2026 · 9 min read
Vegetable Seedling Dumplings
Plant Spacing

Plant Spacing Chart: In-Row Inches + Square-Foot Counts

One vegetable spacing chart with both in-row inches and square-foot-gardening counts per crop, plus a calculator that shows how many plants actually fit.

Jun 4, 2026 · 6 min read
Exploration of surfaces and textures using a close-up camera angle. Ground up tree bark or mulch on a pathway.
Mulch

Mulch 101: Types, Depth, and How Much You Need

A plain-English guide to mulch — what it does, the organic and inorganic types, how deep to lay it, and how to figure out how much you need with the square feet × depth ÷ 324 formula.

Jun 4, 2026 · 9 min read
Soil wheelbarrow
Topsoil

How Much Topsoil Do I Need? (Tons, Yards + Calculator)

Topsoil is sold by the ton. Multiply your square feet by depth in inches, divide by 324 for cubic yards, then plan for about 1.2 tons per yard.

Jun 4, 2026 · 6 min read
Raised garden bed soil
Raised Beds

How Much Soil for a Raised Bed?

Length times width times height in feet, divided by 27, gives cubic yards. A 4x8 bed at 10 inches needs about 1 cubic yard. Formula, bag list, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 6 min read
This is a picture of hands sifting through potting soil in a garden bed.
Soil

How Much Soil Do I Need? (And Which Soil to Buy)

Multiply length × width × depth in feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards. Plus a which-soil chooser so you buy the right material, not just the right amount.

Jun 4, 2026 · 6 min read
Diameter 4.5 cm; Originating from the Philippines; Shell of own collection, therefore not geocoded.
Garden Soil

How Much Garden Soil Do I Need? (Formula + Chart)

Multiply square feet by depth in inches, divide by 324 for cubic yards. Plus a coverage chart, bag counts, and when garden soil beats topsoil or raised-bed mix.

Jun 4, 2026 · 6 min read
Topsoil

How Much Does a Yard of Topsoil Weigh?

A yard of screened topsoil weighs roughly 2,000 to 2,700 lb, about 1.1 to 1.3 tons. It varies with moisture. Here is the range, a table, and the math.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
A backyard compost heap of dark, finished garden and kitchen compost ready to spread on beds.
Compost

How Much Compost Do I Need?

Multiply square feet by depth in inches, divide by 324 for cubic yards of compost. Formula, worked examples, and a bagged-vs-bulk guide.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Mulch

How Many Bags of Mulch Are in a Yard?

A cubic yard of mulch is 27 cubic feet, so it takes 14 bags of 2 cu ft mulch or 9 bags of 3 cu ft to make a yard. Tables and the ÷ math inside.

Jun 4, 2026 · 4 min read
Far apart zucchini garden
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Zucchini

Space zucchini 24 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart, or give each plant one full square foot in a raised bed. Spacing, a method table, and the calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Tomatoes

Space tomatoes about 24 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart, or one plant per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing chart, the square-vs-triangular trick, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Swiss Chard

How Far Apart to Plant Swiss Chard

Thin Swiss chard to 8 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart, or 4 plants per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing chart, square vs triangular, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Sweet Potatoes

Space sweet potato slips about 12 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart, or give each plant 1 square foot in a raised bed. Spacing chart and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Spinach (Rows + Raised Beds)

Space spinach about 4 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart, or 9 plants per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing by method, a quick chart, and why it matters.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Radishes

How Far Apart to Plant Radishes

Thin radishes to 2 inches apart in rows 6-12 inches apart, or 16 per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing chart, square vs triangular layout, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Far apart pumpkins garden
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Pumpkins

Space pumpkins about 36 inches apart in rows 60 inches apart, or give each plant about 4 square feet in a raised bed. Spacing chart and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Far apart potatoes garden
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Potatoes

Plant seed potatoes 12 inches apart in rows 30 to 36 inches apart, or about 4 per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing chart, the triangular trick, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Peppers

How Far Apart to Plant Peppers (Rows + Raised Bed)

Space pepper plants about 18 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart, or give each plant one square foot in a raised bed. Here is the spacing by method, the square-versus-triangular trick, and why crowding costs you peppers.

Jun 4, 2026 · 6 min read
Peas

How Far Apart to Plant Peas

Space peas 3 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart, or 8 plants per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing chart, square vs triangular layout, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Onions

Space onions about 5 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart, or 9 per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing chart, the square-vs-triangular trick, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Lettuce (Rows + Raised Beds)

Space leaf lettuce about 8 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart, or 4 plants per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing by method, a quick chart, and why it matters.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Garlic

Space garlic cloves 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart, or 9 cloves per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing chart, the offset-grid trick, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Far apart eggplant garden
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Eggplant

Space eggplant 18 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart, or give each plant a full square foot in a raised bed. Spacing chart, the triangular trick, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Cucumbers

How Far Apart to Plant Cucumbers (Rows + Raised Bed)

Space cucumbers about 12 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart, or grow them up a trellis at 2 per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing by method, the square-versus-triangular trick, and why airflow matters.

Jun 4, 2026 · 6 min read
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Cauliflower (Rows + Raised Bed)

Space cauliflower 18 inches apart in rows 24 to 36 inches apart, or 1 plant per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing table, layouts, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Carrots

How Far Apart to Plant Carrots

Thin carrots to 2-3 inches apart in rows 12-18 inches apart, or 16 per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing chart, square vs triangular layout, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Cabbage (Rows + Raised Bed)

Space cabbage 12 to 18 inches apart in rows 24 to 36 inches apart, or 1 plant per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing table, layouts, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Butternut Squash

Space butternut squash about 24 inches apart in rows 48 inches apart, or give each plant 2 square feet in a raised bed. Spacing chart and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Beans

How Far Apart to Plant Bush Beans (Rows + Raised Bed)

Space bush beans about 4 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart, or 9 plants per square foot in a raised bed. Here is the spacing by method, why airflow matters, and the layout that fits more.

Jun 4, 2026 · 6 min read
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Broccoli (Rows + Raised Bed)

Space broccoli 18 inches apart in rows 24 to 36 inches apart, or 1 plant per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing table, layouts, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Beets

How Far Apart to Plant Beets

Thin beets to 3-4 inches apart in rows 12-18 inches apart, or 9 per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing chart, square vs triangular layout, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Plant Spacing

How Far Apart to Plant Basil

Space basil 8 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart, or 4 plants per square foot in a raised bed. Spacing chart, layouts, and a calculator.

Jun 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Garden mulch bark
Mulch

How Much Mulch Do I Need?

Measure your bed, multiply by depth, divide by 324, and you have the cubic yards of mulch you need. Formula, worked examples, and a coverage table.

Jun 3, 2026 · 4 min read