Need To Buy Some Potting Soil, But Not Sure How Much

Discussion in 'Crops & Gardens' started by Neville Telen, Oct 9, 2018.

  1. Neville Telen

    Neville Telen Veteran Member
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    I have three pots about 10 inch diameter by 9 inch tall. I could take one to the garden center and try to 'eyeball' it, but I always end up getting too much and have to store it, or even worse, not enough and have to go back for more. Anybody have a guess on how many quarts and 'cu ft' I need to look for in a bag? Some brands use quarts and some use 'cu ft'.
     
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  2. Beatrice Taylor

    Beatrice Taylor Veteran Member
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    Try this little calculator select Shape: flower pot/truncated cone and input the dimensions.

    https://www.omnicalculator.com/other/potting-soil-calculator

    Remember that obtained result represents the volume for the full container. Sometimes you want to fill the container to 4/5, or you already have a plant or tree with the roots and then you will need less soil. The amount of soil may also change as you squeeze it or leave it looser, so presented calculations are only a good estimator.
     
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  3. Neville Telen

    Neville Telen Veteran Member
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    Most excellent! Thanks for the link...I got it bookmarked! Here's what I used to convert the answer to cu ft: ~ https://www.convertunits.com/from/quart+[US,+dry]/to/cubic+foot (some potting soil seems to use it on the bag).
     
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    Last edited: Oct 11, 2018
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  4. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    From what you have written, I think that one of those small 20 lb bags of potting soil would probably be about the right size, and that is about the smallest bags that I have seen, that I remember.
    I get them at the dollar store, but Walmart might still have a good selection, if they haven’t taken it all away and put out the Christmas decorations instead.
     
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  5. Neville Telen

    Neville Telen Veteran Member
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    Thanks for the tip. According to the link of Beatrice Taylor, I would need 37 quarts, and according to the link I mentioned, that converts to around 1.5 cu ft (slightly over), so hopefully that will do it. I usually would get this at Home Depot, but as they mortally offended me the last time I was there (got rid of my incandescent bulbs, got rid of all but one real checkout line, and I had to wait in that one for nearly half-hour), I'll not be returning again. The dollar stores used to sell cheap potting soil (as of last year), but none this year, and its too late now. Nearest Walmart is three long bus rides away, and online, their Miracle-Gro Garden Soil All Purpose 2 CF is near $25, while True Value Garden Center lists nearly the same (1.5 cu ft) for under $10, so considering I can get to the latter with one short bus ride, that's on my to-do list for tomorrow....if I don't stay up too late tonight.
     
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