Garden Math: Calculating the Area and Depth of Your Garden - FineGardening (2024)

Garden Math: Calculating the Area and Depth of Your Garden - FineGardening (1)

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Garden Math: Calculating the Area and Depth of Your Garden - FineGardening (2)

From fertilizer to mulch and paving stones to plants, too much of a good thing can mean, at best, unused material stored in the garage and, at worst, dead plants.

It can also mean that you have spent money you did not need to spend. On the flip side, finding that your paths look unkempt because you under­estimated how much mulch you needed can be discouraging, as can languishing plants—despite what you thought were carefully measured fertilizer applications. Whether you are a math wiz or have a math phobia, learning some simple calculations to use for common gardening situations can help you save time and money while you turn your garden into an Eden.

Learn more: 8 Ways to Save Money at the Garden Center

Here are some basic calculations that will help you figure out what you need.

Calculating the square footage of your garden

What is it?

Square footage is the measurement of a flat, two-dimensional space (for example, a patio, a perennial bed, or a deck).

When do I need it?

You need to know square footage when purchasing materials to cover or build a flower bed, a patio, or a deck, for instance when purchasing flagstone, pavers, sod, or fertilizer.

♦ Finding the square footage of a square or rectangular area of land

Multiply the length by the width to determine the square footage—or area—of a square or rectangle.

Garden Math: Calculating the Area and Depth of Your Garden - FineGardening (3)

Finding the square footage of a triangular area of land

  • Consider the longest side of the triangle the base.
  • Measure a perpendicular line from the opposite angle to the base to determine the triangle’s height.
  • Multiply the base by the height, and divide that number in half to determine the area.

Garden Math: Calculating the Area and Depth of Your Garden - FineGardening (4)

Finding the square footage of a circular piece of land

  • Find the center point of the circle.
  • Measure from that point to the edge of the circle to determine the radius.
  • Multiply the radius by itself.
  • Multiply that number by pi (3.14) to find the area of your circle.
Garden Math: Calculating the Area and Depth of Your Garden - FineGardening (5)

Square footage of an irregular shape

  • Break up the space into regular shapes (squares, rectangles, triangles, and circles).
  • Determine the area of each shape.
  • Add the areas of each shape to come up with an approximate area of the bed.
Garden Math: Calculating the Area and Depth of Your Garden - FineGardening (6)

Finding the cubic footage of your garden

What is it?

Cubic footage is a measurement of three-dimensional volume, which is important to know when you need material that will be applied to a certain depth or thickness.

When do I need it?

You will need to know the cubic footage of your area if you are ordering materials such as topsoil, mulch, or compost.

♦ To cover a level area

  • If the thickness or depth of your material is measured in inches, convert it to feet.
  • Determine the square footage of the space.
  • Multiply the square footage by the desired depth of the material to determine the cubic footage—or volume.
Garden Math: Calculating the Area and Depth of Your Garden - FineGardening (7)

♦ To level a sloped area

  • Determine the length of the area you would like to level.
  • Create a level line that extends out from the top of the slope and stops at a point directly above the bottom of the slope. This line represents the width of the area.
  • Create a perpendicular line from the end of the width line to the bottom of the slope. This line represents the depth of the area.
  • Multiply the length by the width by the depth to determine the cubic footage of the entire area.
  • Divide that number in half (to account for the soil that is already there) to determine how much fill you will need.
Garden Math: Calculating the Area and Depth of Your Garden - FineGardening (8)

Tip: Sometimes material sold in large quantities is measured in cubic yards. To convert cubic feet into cubic yards, divide the number of cubic feet by 27 (because there are 27 cubic feet in 1 cubic yard).

Patrick Beam plays with math on a daily basis for his professional landscaping business in Columbus, Ohio.

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Garden Math: Calculating the Area and Depth of Your Garden - FineGardening (2024)

FAQs

Garden Math: Calculating the Area and Depth of Your Garden - FineGardening? ›

The minimum depth for raised beds is 20cm (8in) however some plants need 45-60cm (18-24in). Most root vegetables need around 60cm (24in) of soil depth to root deeply. If you plan to build on a hard surface make sure that a depth of at least 40cm (16in) is allowed for.

What is the depth of a garden? ›

The minimum depth for raised beds is 20cm (8in) however some plants need 45-60cm (18-24in). Most root vegetables need around 60cm (24in) of soil depth to root deeply. If you plan to build on a hard surface make sure that a depth of at least 40cm (16in) is allowed for.

How do I make a landscaping estimate? ›

How to Estimate A Landscaping Job: The Complete Guide
  1. Do Your Homework When Creating A Landscaping Estimate.
  2. Draw Up A Rough Sketch.
  3. Estimate How Long The Project Will Take.
  4. Determine Material Costs.
  5. Determine Overhead Costs.
  6. Determine Labor Costs.
  7. Add Your Markup.
  8. Example Of A Landscaping Cost Estimator.

What is the formula for the area of a garden? ›

Multiply the length by the width to determine the square footage—or area—of a square or rectangle. Find the square footage by multiplying the length and width of the area in question. Make sure to keep your units the same (feet or inches).

What is the formula for depth? ›

Since the speed of sound in water is known, the simple equation "d/2 = vt" is used to find the depth "d". The letter "v" represents the speed of sound in water and the letter "t" is the total time for the sound to leave and return to the vessel.

How do you calculate total depth? ›

It depends on how you are defining “depth ”.
  1. For example, if you have a rectangular box which is 2m wide and 3m long, you will need to know the volume to calculate the depth;-
  2. Volume = length x width x depth.
  3. Therefore;-
  4. Depth = Volume / (length x width)
Aug 24, 2016

How do you calculate property depth? ›

Lot Depth: Lot depth is measured along an imaginary straight line drawn from the midpoint of the front property line of the lot to the midpoint of the rear property line or to the most distant point on any other lot line where there is no rear lot line.

What is the best way to design and measure a garden? ›

Using triangulation

Triangulation means measuring the feature from two fixed points – two corners of the house are ideal as shown in the diagram below. Angled boundaries can be measured using the triangulation method in reverse. That means measure from either end of the angled boundary to one fixed point on the house.

What is a good measurement for a garden be? ›

Beginners: If you're new to vegetable gardening, a 10' x 10' garden (100 square feet) is a great place to start. Pick 3-5 of your favorite veggies, and buy 3-5 plants of each one. This will give you a modest harvest for summer suppers, and it'll be easy to manage.

Is there an app to measure garden area? ›

GPS Fields Area Measure is a free app that allows you to evaluate your fields as you need: measure the distance, perimeter, or area and share it with your colleagues straight away! "Very accurate and precise.

What is the best depth for garden? ›

A 1-foot raised bed is more than enough to accommodate a salad garden box plan. Carrots, radishes and peppers thrive with 12 inches or more. Medium-rooting vegetables like kale, cucumbers, and zucchini love at least 18 inches.

What is the general rule for planting depth? ›

So, the general rule of thumb for proper planting depth is to dig the hole two to three times as wide as and no deeper than the bottom of the root ball to the trunk flare.

How deep should I tell my garden? ›

You do not need to till or break up the soil very deep; less than 12 inches is better. Tilling too often or deep can do more damage than good to your soil. Enthusiastic rototilling done too early in the season can result in the earth's becoming hard and unable to retain moisture.

How do you calculate total landscape area? ›

How to Calculate Square Footage of Landscape Beds
  1. To find the area of a SQUARE – multiply the length x's the width.
  2. To find the area of a RECTANGLE – multiply the length x's the width.
  3. To find the area of a CIRCLE – multiply 3.14 x radius x radius (or r2)
Apr 21, 2019

What is the 5 foot rule for square footage? ›

Did you know any portion of a wall below five feet in height is NOT considered to be living area? This is called the “5-foot rule” for calculating square footage, and the image below will help illustrate the rule.

How do you calculate the square footage of a yard? ›

If your lot is 126 feet deep and 105 feet wide*, simply multiply 126 X 105 = a total of 13,230 square feet. Then subtract from this total the square footage of the house footprint, driveway, and any other areas that are not to be amended.

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