How much compost do you need?
Add your beds or lawn and the depth, get cubic yards and bag count instantly.
How do I calculate how much compost I need?
Multiply the area by the depth you want to spread, then convert it to cubic yards or bags. Topdressing 1,000 square feet of lawn a quarter inch deep takes about 20.8 cubic feet: roughly 0.77 cubic yards or 21 bags of 1 cubic foot.
How much compost should I add to garden beds?
Spread 1 to 3 inches and mix it into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil: 3 inches for heavy clay or poor soil, 1 to 2 inches for soil that is already in decent shape. A 4 ft by 8 ft raised bed at 2 inches takes about 5.3 cubic feet — six 1 cubic foot bags.
How much compost do I need to topdress a lawn?
Penn State Extension advises a thin layer, about ¼ inch, worked into the turf — roughly 0.77 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet. Some lawn pros go up to ½ inch (about 1.5 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet), but thicker layers smother the grass. Rake it in so the grass blades stay above the compost, ideally right after aerating.
How much area does a cubic yard of compost cover?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. It covers about 1,300 square feet at ¼ inch, 650 square feet at ½ inch, 324 square feet at 1 inch, 162 square feet at 2 inches and 108 square feet at 3 inches.
How much does compost weigh?
Screened compost at about 50% moisture weighs about 1,000 lb per cubic yard, according to Oregon State University Extension, and very wet compost can top 1,500 lb; UNH Extension puts it at 1,000 lb, give or take a few hundred pounds. That is far less than topsoil. A 1 cubic foot bag weighs roughly 35 to 40 lb. A cubic yard fits in most full-size pickups, but check the payload on the door-jamb sticker if the compost is wet.
Is bagged or bulk compost cheaper?
A cubic yard of compost equals 27 bags of 1 cubic foot, so bulk is usually much cheaper per yard once you need more than a yard or so — even with a delivery fee. Bags make sense for a raised bed or two, or when the pile would have nowhere to go. Enter your local prices above to compare.
Sources: Penn State Extension, Using Composts to Improve Turf Performance; Oregon State University Extension, Interpreting Compost Analyses (EM 9217); UNH Extension, Purchasing Compost. How we check our calculators.