Build the fill list
Raised bed soil
Turn bed dimensions into cubic feet, cubic yards, liters, and a realistic bag count—with settling reserve included.
A free planning desk for backyard growers
Grow the plan
before the plants.
Turn a rough garden idea into a measured bed map, a material list, a season checklist, and notes worth using next year.
7 measured calculators21 crop references0 signups required
The workbench
Useful on day one.
Better by next season.
Calculators bring an answer. The workbench keeps the plan, the decisions, and the evidence together.
A
Sketch a planting bed
Paint crops onto a measured grid, see density, calculate fill, save the plan locally, and print it for the garden.
BCompare 21 crops
Search practical spacing, season, starting method, sunlight, and container suitability without opening twenty tabs.
CRun the season
A frost-relative task board you can check off in this browser—no account and no notification pressure.
DKeep useful notes
Log sowing, planting, observations, and harvests. Filter, print, or export your data whenever you want.
Measure first
Seven calculators.
No black-box answers.
Every result shows its formula, assumptions, units, and limits so you can change the plan with confidence.
Calculate
Cover, without overbuying
Mulch volume
Estimate mulch by area and finished depth, then translate the answer into yards, liters, or bags.
See the bed before sowing
Plant spacing
Compare straight-grid and offset layouts, estimate plant count, and preview every planting point.
Fill pots by geometry
Container soil
Estimate mix for round or rectangular containers, multiply a whole set, and convert to common bag sizes.
Size storage from the roof
Rain capture
Translate roof area and a design storm into collectable gallons or liters with a user-set efficiency factor.
Work backward from frost
Seed-starting dates
Choose a crop and your local last-frost date to create an indoor sowing and transplant window.
Field notes / issue 01
The explanation belongs beside the answer.
Soil
How much soil does a raised bed actually need?
The geometry is easy. The useful answer depends on settled depth, existing fill, bag labels, and how the bed will be used.
Read field noteSoil
Mulch depth is a design choice, not a default setting
Start with the job the mulch must do, the material’s texture, and the layer already on the ground.
Read field noteLayout
Plant spacing without the false precision
A ruler gives you a repeatable layout. The seed packet and mature plant still decide how much room is sensible.
Read field noteSoil
A ‘10-inch pot’ does not tell you its soil volume
Taper, false bottoms, nursery trade sizes, and headspace all separate a pot’s name from the mix you need.
Read field note01
How the desk works
Measure → calculate → observe → revise.
Root & Ruler keeps formula math separate from garden judgment. We cite the starting point and mark what the calculator cannot know.
Read our methodQuiet updates, open format
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